


Never the Same

by kikide (SouthernWriter), SouthernWriter



Series: Blended Family [4]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Bay Movies), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Bonding, Family Issues, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:20:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 47,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27802936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouthernWriter/pseuds/kikide, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouthernWriter/pseuds/SouthernWriter
Summary: A re-telling of SAINW.  When the Geeks get sent to a dark universe, can the others save them?  What will happen to their alternate, sadder selves?
Series: Blended Family [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1966627
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21





	1. Malatempa

For the next week things were amazingly normal. The brothers practiced, played, teased, and yes, even argued like they hadn’t gone through two months of sheer hell, but the new underlying sense of togetherness was never lost. Donny and Donatello were busy helping April update the security of her home, while Raph and Raphael did their best to keep the increasingly tense, father-to-be, Casey from losing it altogether. On top of that, there was a string of (harmless) practical jokes running through the Lair, perpetuated by Leo and the Brats. All in all, life had settled back into routine. Of course, given the turtles’ luck, things couldn’t stay quiet for long.

The morning that hell, once again, broke loose on the family, started out like any other. Leo was the first one up, anxious to get his hour of personal training out of the way. By six, his brothers had rolled themselves out of bed to join him. This morning it was Donatello’s turn to lead practice, and together with Donny and April he had put together a very impressive, though very basic, holographic projector. Using footage (no one was exactly sure how he’d gotten it) of the family’s previous fights against the Purple Dragons and the Foot, Donatello was able to recreate simulations of their previous battles, allowing the brothers to test themselves in “real” combat situations with their new abilities. It was a bit of a shock that, even being faster and stronger, the brothers performed more poorly in these simulated fights than they had in the actual combat.

Okay, I admit it’s a little different fighting a real person who is able to think and react to new situations,” Donatello admitted at the end of practice, “but still. That was a pretty poor showing on all our parts. Well, except maybe for Leo.”

Yeah, but that’s just Leo,” Raphael dismissed. “I still can’t believe we got our shells kicked by a computer.”

It makes sense, actually,” Donny said. “I mean, we’ve spent the last several weeks, most of us at least,” he added with a teasing grin at Raphael who just mock-glared back at him, “learning how to manage our new strength and speed. But what we haven’t done is gotten used to each other’s abilities yet. Most of us are mostly underestimating what the others can do, and as a result we keep getting in each other’s way.”

Dude, you know what this means, right,” Mikey asked mournfully. “It means Leo’s going to make us do…”

Team building exercises,” Leo provided, taking a seat on the floor next to Mikey, a towel draped over his sweat drenched shoulders. His brothers all groaned. Leo gave them an understanding smile. “I know, I know,” he continued. “No one’s favorite activity, but we’ve got to get handle on working as a team under these new conditions.”

You really are ‘Splinter Junior,’” Raphael goaded his brother, but there was no malice in his tone.

Any response Leo might have made was cut off by a loud roaring sound filling the room. A dark cloud began to coalesce in the center of the room. Alarmed, all seven turtles shot to their feet, hand immediately going to their weapons. Out of the darkness stepped a tall, emaciated, vaguely female figure. She was approximately eight feet tall, and her skin was an unhealthy gray color, and was pulled so tight on her form that she seemed to be simply a flesh covered skeleton. She had a hyena-like jaw and a mouth filled with very small, very sharp teeth; a sight made even more grotesque by the lack of body fat. Her hands ended in jagged in talons, as did her shoeless feet. Turning her red eyes (very familiar looking red eyes), on the turtles, she hissed, “I am called Malatempa. I am here to dessstroy the one called Leonardo for what he hasss done to my Massster, Lord Darktide.”

The turtles looked at each other in alarm before Raphael said, “Get real lady. You’re gonna have to go through us to get to him.”

Malatempa gave him a satisfied smile; an even creepier look on his disfigured face than the scowl had been. “Yess,” she crooned. “I know.”

With that, she struck, but the turtles were already in motion. They came at her from all sides: Raph and Raphael from the back, Donny and Donatello from the right, the Brats from the left, and Leo straight into her face. With an odd hiss-growl, Malatempa waved her hand and sent the turtles flying backwards. Donatello was the first to recover, and he dove at her once again. With a wave of her hand, however, he froze in mid-air.

I will ssstart with thisss one,” she said, her malicious pleasure evident in her voice. “I will sssend him to a plassse of much darknesss, where there isss little chanssse that he will sssurvive.”

At her words, a dark nimbus began to glow around the frozen turtle.

Donatello,” his brothers screamed, but the purple masked turtle could make no reply. Brighter and brighter the nimbus glowed.

No,” Donny screamed. In desperation, he threw himself at his twin. Just as he touched Donatello, the darkness flared a final time, blinding the inhabitants of the room. When their eyesight finally returned, the pair of Geniuses was gone.

No,” Michelangelo exclaimed, rushing to the spot where just moments before his brothers had been.

Raphael took a more direct approach. With a snarl, he turned on Malatempa. “Where did you send them, you skeletal bitch,” he demanded.

To their deathsss,” she replied with self-satisfaction. “The sssame plassse I’m sssending all of the Avatar’sss Guardiansss.”

Not in this lifetime,” Raph interjected. He threw his sai with all his considerable strength, but the blade just bounced off Malatempa’s bony chest.

Fool,” she laughed. “Your mortal weaponsss cannot hurt me.”

Then try this on for size,” Leo said, causing the dark figure to whirl around in surprise. She had been so focused on the other turtles that she had forgotten about the young Avatar completely. Therefore she wasn’t prepared when Leo sent his blazing sword, imbued with his Avatar energy, into her chest. With a scream, Malatempa grasped at the wound, but it was too late. Leo had struck with deadly precision. And not being immortal like her master, the stroke was all too fatal. With one more blood-curdling scream, Malatempa disappeared into a small pile of ash.

For a long moment, no one said anything. Finally Mikey broke the ice by firmly declaring, “I’m not cleaning it up. Dead bad guy dust? That’s just gross, dudes.”

But his brothers weren’t really listening. Instead, they’d moved over to where Donny and Donatello had disappeared.

Do…do you think they’re okay,” Michelangelo asked quietly.

They’d better be, or I’ll kick both their shells,” Raphael said gruffly.

Leo, who had been standing with his eyes closed in the exact spot where his siblings had disappeared suddenly opened them and looked at his brothers. “They’re still alive,” he said. “That much I can tell. I think she just sent them to another dimension.”

So what does that mean for us, and for them,” Raph asked.

It means that I should be able to track them,” Leo said. “It’s going to take me a couple of days, I imagine, but once I find them I should be able to open a portal between here and there. Then it will just be a matter of us going through to locate them and bring them home.”

But, what about what that she-demon said, about sending them to a place of darkness,” Mikey asked, his voice small. “She said they wouldn’t have much chance of survival.”

They’ll be okay, Mikey,” Leo reassured him. “After all, these are the Geniuses we’re talking about. They can survive for a couple of days until we can find them.”

"Well, wherever they are, hopefully it’s not too bad,” Mikey said hopefully. “And I hope they’re together. They can get through anything, as long as they’re together.”

“Me, too, Mikey,” Leo said. “Me too.”

TMNTTMNT

When Donatello was finally able to move and see again, he was shocked at the change in his surroundings. He was very definitely in the Lair, but it looked like World War Three had taken place in their living room. Horribly alarmed, Donatello called out desperately, “Master Splinter? Leo? Anybody?” But the words just echoed in the empty chamber.

At first, Donatello was at a loss as to what to do. Finally forcing himself to move, Donatello made his way through the rubble, searching anxiously for any clue as to what had happened to his home. As he made his way through the dust and debris, his heart sank further and further. How could this have happened? Who could have done it? When the brainiac turtle found a torn piece of a Foot uniform, he was shocked. This was impossible. Shredder was dead. Sure, there’d been some mumblings in the underground about some secret general hand-trained by Saki, but whoever the guy was, he’d yet to show himself. That’s when Donatello noticed something. On the far wall of the living room, where his twin’s family’s living chamber was supposed to be, was simply a bare wall. With growing dread, Donatello walked over the wall. After selecting the appropriate brick, he drew the unlocking symbol in the dust. Nothing happened.

Abruptly memory returned, and Donatello recalled just what had taken place before he’d awakened in this horrible parody of his home. Just as quickly, realization hit; that Malatempa creature must have sent him to a different dimension. Looking around at the destruction surrounding him, Donatello shivered. It was apparent that he hadn’t ended up in as nice a parallel dimension as Leo had two years ago. Still, the thought led Donatello to wonder: where were the turtles of this dimension? They had obviously been here at one point, and he hadn’t found any corpses, so that seemed to suggest that they had survived this attack. Surely if they were still alive they’d be willing to help him try to get home.

With a plan now at least beginning to form, Donatello turned away from the destroyed Lair. It was clear that his brothers from this world no longer lived here, which meant he needed to search elsewhere for them. Still, with no real idea where to begin his search, Donatello decided to try April’s apartment. Hopefully the April of this world would be able to help him locate his alternate siblings. With a slightly lighter heart, Donatello set off.


	2. Horrible Parody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a small section that is directly transcribed from the episode. I have marked it, but I am acknowledging I did not write the original. That section is clearly marked.

Donatello couldn’t believe the destruction he found as he made his way out of the Lair. Whoever was responsible for this had done a very thorough job. The more Donatello saw, the sadder it made him. Sure, this wasn’t his reality, but at some point another version of himself and his brothers had lived here. What must they have felt as their world was destroyed around them? Had they all even made it out alive, or was there a body of one his alternate brothers buried somewhere in all that mess? The thought made the young turtle miss his own brothers with a vengeance. That’s when a new memory hit him: his twin diving at his frozen body right before he appeared here in this horrible, dark place. What happened to Donny? A part of Donatello wished his twin was here someplace. A familiar, friendly face would be most welcome. At the same time, Donatello also hoped that his brother was still safely back at home with Leo and the others. There was no way he’d ever wish this reality on anyone; except maybe Saki or those crazy Babbot brothers.

As Donatello made his way out of the destroyed setting that looked so eerily like his own home, he couldn’t help noting that, despite the destruction, the Tunneler was still seemingly in once piece. It surprised him. Why hadn’t that been demolished as well? It puzzled him for a moment, and out of habit he tucked that piece of information away. He never knew when he might need that little tidbit.

As Donatello finally made his way out of the abandoned warehouse that had once served as a garage, he came to a shocked halt as he surveyed the world around him. Much of the same destruction that appeared in the Lair covered the street as well. In truth, it looked like a war had taken place on the streets of New York City. In many ways it reminded him of that disturbing landscape where Leo had faced Darktide for the final time. The sky above was a horrible, reddish-black color as soot and other debris filled the air. The air itself smelled like death; a thick, salty-smell that filled his throat and coated his tongue. It was all Donatello could do not to gag.

What the shell happened here, he couldn’t help wondering. And not only that, but where was everyone? Even this late in his own dimension there were still the occasional beggars and night owls out prowling the streets.

**[The next section is not mine; it comes as close from the episode as I can get it. I claim no part of it]**

_Suddenly, the sound of a helicopter caught Donatello’s attention. No sooner had he heard it than it appeared above him, shining a bright spotlight down on him. Donatello was forced to cover his face to keep from being blinded. At the same time, he could hear several vehicles approach, adding their headlights to the overwhelming brightness. A voice over a loudspeaker called out, “Attention citizen. Place your hands in the air and drop your weapons. Repeat: hands up and drop your weapons!”_

_Alarmed, and completely at a loss at to what was going on, Donatello reluctantly raised his hands. Through the harshness of the light he could vaguely make out the shapes of men holding guns on him, and he had no desire to give them cause to open fire. Besides, he was still at a loss at to why they weren’t freaking out over seeing a giant walking turtle._

_As the police squad, or whatever they were, approached him, he noticed something that made him gasp. There, on the sleeve of their uniform, was the symbol for the Foot! But, how could that be? No longer was Donatello willing to just sit around and wait for them to come get him. If they were wearing that symbol, then any hope for a peaceful settlement was not imaginable. Pulling his Bo staff off his back, he fell into a fighting stance, ready to take on any and everyone. Just before the masked men reached him, however, three very familiar looking shurikens hit the ground in front of the men, causing them halt. The man on the megaphone called, “On the roof! Get a light on him!”_

_As the spotlight moved off of Donatello and onto the mystery figure above, the order came to “Fire!” Immediately, they all did, but the shadowy figure was moving much too quickly, and none of the rounds came anywhere close to hitting their target. Donatello’s unknown rescuer ran across the rooftop and leaped from there to the ground, disappearing inside the remains of a derelict car left sitting on the street to Donatello’s left. The soldier or cops, whichever they were, charged over to the car and began filling it with lead, or whatever sort of projectiles their weapons used. Donatello’s breath caught in his throat. There was no way his rescuer could survive that._

_He watched as two of the men jumped on top of the car, continuing to pepper the roof with weapon’s fire, until it finally collapsed. Thing were quiet for a moment, then suddenly the hood on which one of the men was standing was thrown open, and the man was sent flying. He hit the man standing on the trunk of the car, and both collapsed. Immediately, the dark figure jumped from the car and, leaping and flipping to avoid the shots being sent his way, took out three more of the guards. Donatello wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw the figure using a…nunchuck? Was it possible that this was this world’s version of Mikey? Donatello suspected so, but he couldn’t be certain. Still, that didn’t stop him from calling hesitantly, “Mikey?” There was no response._

_The other turtle, for Donatello was certain now that’s what his savior was, finished taking out the land troops with several well placed and powerful blows from his nunchuck. He then cartwheeled back toward Donatello, grabbing one of the dropped guns on his way. For a moment he was lit by the spotlight, but then he was gone again, making it impossible for Donatello to positively identify him._

_Coming to a stop in front of Donatello, he opened fire on the three trucks ahead of him, blowing all three of them up. He then turned his attention to the helicopter overhead. He opened fire on the aircraft, driving it away. He must have hit something important, for the machine began to list crazily, first to one side and then the other, before disappearing behind a distant building. A few seconds later, a loud boom and an explosion marked its destruction._

_As Donatello approached, the turtle he was now certain was Michelangelo dropped the weapon._

_“Mikey, am I glad to see you,” Donatello exclaimed in relief._

_“So, it’s really you. You came back,” Michelangelo replied. His voice was similar to the voice Donatello was familiar with, but rougher, harder; almost as if life had been chipping away at it for a long time. But there were more changes than just his brother’s voice; Donatello saw that when the orange-masked turtle stepped into the light. The simple band around his eyes had been replaced with a kerchief styled mask, much as they had worn when just little turtles. Similarly, it seemed Michelangelo was wearing far more body armor than he had ever before. But that wasn’t the most shocking difference._

_“Mikey, your…your arm,” Donatello exclaimed in shock. “What happened to your arm?” For a brief moment, Donatello forgot that this wasn’t his Mikey or Michelangelo, and he immediately became the concerned older brother. Michelangelo instantly brought him out of it by turning the tables back on him._

_“You’re the one who’s got some questions to answer,” Michelangelo growled, pointing an accusing finger at Donatello. “Where the shell have you been all these years?”_

_“All these years,” Donatello asked in confusion._

_“You’ve been gone over thirty years, Donatello,” Mikey said, poking his “brother” in the chest._

**[Okay, we’re back to my version of the storyline. There will still be some carry over from the episode, but it will be mixed with my own stuff.]**

At that, Donatello felt his heart break just a little for this version of his younger sibling. It had been bad enough when Leo had disappeared for a year; he couldn’t imagine him being gone for thirty. But at the same time, he couldn’t leave Mikey thinking he was this dimension’s missing turtle. As gently as he could, he said, “Mikey, I know this is going to be difficult to believe, but I’m not your Donatello. I’m from a different dimension altogether.”

“Cut the crap, Donatello,” Mikey snapped angrily. “No lies. Just tell me, how could you abandon us like that?”

“I didn’t,” Donatello responded. “Because I’m not your Donatello. I was sent here from another dimension some time in the past.”

“A likely story,” Mikey scoffed in disbelief. He cast a suspicious look around. “But we can’t talk here. Come on.”

He disappeared into the shadows, leaving Donatello no choice but to follow him.

TMNTTMNT

As Donatello followed his “brother” across the city, he was horrified by the complete and utter destruction of the city he called home. Factory smokestacks filled the skyline, pumping noxious gas into the atmosphere. Everywhere he looked, the symbol of the Foot marked everything in sight. Even worse was the floating dirigible with the image of Saki lit up on, blasting the recorded message: “Serve the Shredder, your lord and master. Serve the Shredder and live.” Donatello was aghast; how could anyone consider this living? This life of slavery was no better than living death.

After some dodging and skulking, Mikey finally led Donatello to a grate in the sidewalk. As he used his nunchuck to pry it up, Donatello finally asked him, “Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you to Master Splinter,” the other turtle responded. There was something unsettling in his voice that Donatello couldn’t quite place. Still, that didn’t stop him from responding,

“Are Leo and Raph with him?”

Mikey just gave Donatello a bemused look. With a cold voice, that didn’t quite hide his disappointment, Mikey said, “Are you kidding? Leo and Raph aren’t with anyone anymore.” And with that, he disappeared into the darkness below. As Donatello followed, fear clutched at his heart. Surely Mikey didn’t mean…no! It wasn’t possible that the two older turtles were gone, too. Still, as he moved further into the darkness, Donatello desperately wished he was home. Now, more than ever, he longed to have his brothers’ comforting presence around him, to help destroy the nightmare images that were burning themselves deeper and deeper into his mind, the longer he was in the horrible parody of what his world might have been.


	3. Losses and Gains

The journey through the sewers was a quiet one with neither turtle saying very much. For Donatello, much of his silence was from shock. He couldn’t quite believe he was in a world where Saki was actually in charge. It seemed like something out of his worst nightmares. Even worse, it seemed that his family in this world had been all but destroyed in the process of the Shredder’s ascension. Donatello shuddered. They had come so close over the past several years to having their family shattered that this reality was striking a little too close to home. Is this what would have happened if they had never found Leo two years ago? And what if the Babbots had managed to actually kill him? As for what had happened at the hands of Saki himself, Donatello couldn’t bring himself to think too closely on it; it was still too recent.

As for Michelangelo, he wasn’t quite sure _what_ to say to this “brother” of his. Donatello had been gone for so long, and so much had happened in his absence, that it was difficult for the older turtle to relate to his younger companion. And then there was Donatello’s claim that he wasn’t even the brother Michelangelo thought he was. It had to be a lie. The question was, however, why would Donny lie about something like that? Especially since Donatello wasn’t a turtle known for lying. There had been times he might not have revealed the whole truth in a pointless effort to protect his younger brother, but he had never outright lied to his siblings. So did that mean this Donatello was telling the truth, and that he really _wasn’t_ his missing sibling? The thought was almost as painful as if he had lost his brother once again.

Eventually the pair emerged from the sewers in what appeared to be some sort of overgrown, on-the-verge-of-death city park. As Donatello followed Mikey above ground, he finally asked a question that had been bothering him. “Where are all the people?” Michelangelo’s response as the pair darted through the dark woods made his blood run cold.

“You mean the ones that survived? They’re forced to work eighteen hours days in the Shredder’s labor camps. No one’s allowed out at night.”

It was almost enough to make Donatello freeze in his tracks. The more he learned about this world, the worse it became. But, he decided, as long as he was getting the bad news, he might as well hear all of it. “What happened between Leo and Raph,” he asked as Michelangelo finally came to a halt.

“Let’s just say they got in a big fight a long time ago,” the older turtle said as he cautiously scanned the ground in front of them. Without adding anything else, Michelangelo continued onward. Donatello followed, regretfully thinking that it was just like his older brothers to alienate themselves from each other, just when they needed to pull together the most. It made him ever so glad that his own brothers, with the addition of Raph, had finally overcome their old habit of fighting rather than talking. Their closer relationship of current times was a huge relief to the tension filled awkwardness that had once existed between them.

Donatello had taken only a few steps after Michelangelo, when an unusual, but very familiar sense, washed over him. In that moment he **knew** that his twin was somewhere in the city. Donny, wherever he was, was confused, understandably a little frightened, but safe. It was almost enough to make Donatello smile. While he regretted that his twin had been dragged into this mess as well, it relieved Donatello’s mind that he was no longer in this alone. Once he found his younger brother, there was nothing that come between them and getting home. After they did what they could to fix the situation around here, of course. His heart feeling much lighter, Donatello set out once more after Michelangelo.

TTTT

After traveling together in silence for a little while longer, now walking rather than jogging, Donatello found the courage to ask Michelangelo a little more about what happened to his family.

“When you never came back, Donny, well, everything just fell apart,” Michelangelo said, the ancient hurt clear in his voice. “We were a team. Without you, it just didn’t work. Guess we really needed that level head of yours.”

By this time, the pair had reached a small open glade. In the center of the clear space was what was very clearly a gravestone. A very familiar walking stick was propped up against it. Even knowing that his father was safely back in the other dimension, Donatello couldn’t keep the shocked grief out of his voice as he said questioningly, “Master Splinter?” Approaching slowly, Donatello dropped to his knees next the stone marker. “No,” he moaned sadly.

“Master Yoshi used to bring him here to the park, back in the day,” Michelangelo explained, coming to stand by Donatello’s shoulder. “It’s not the safest place, but it’s where sensei wanted to be buried.”

“H…how,” Donatello asked, his grief on his alternate brothers’ behalf making it difficult to speak.

“A couple of years after you disappeared, Master Splinter gave his life protecting the three of us,” Michelangelo explained. “We’d already been hit; badly. Raph and Leo, well, that’s a story for a different time. But that was the battle where I lost my arm. Sensei knew it was either us or them, so he did what he had to do to make sure we were the ones who survived. It was after that, once I was on the road to recovery, that Raph and Leo had their fight. They each went their own way. Since then, I’ve been carrying on the best I can. But now you’re back—“

“Mikey,” Donatello interrupted. “After everything you have faced, after everything you’ve lost, I know you don’t want to hear this, but I have to make you understand. I am not your Donatello. I come from a different time and place altogether. I have brothers of my own that are missing me; brothers I need to get back to.”

“Why are you doing this,” Michelangelo asked, his voice pleading. “Why can’t you accept that you’re back where you belong? Back where you’re needed?”

“Because I’m not,” Donatello said, though his throat was clenching with unshed tears. Hurting his brother, no matter what dimension he was from, wasn’t something he enjoyed. “Because no matter how much this world might vaguely appear to resemble mine, it’s not my home. And as much as you have missed your brother, mine will be missing me.”

“So what are you going to do,” Michelangelo asked stiffly. “Throw together some dimension-hopping device and just leave us on our own again?”

Looking at the hurting turtle, Donatello knew he could never just leave things here the way they currently were. Even if this wasn’t his dimension, and this wasn’t his family per se, he could never leave without doing the best he could to help them.

“No,” he told his brother, determination filling his voice. “There is someone I need to find first, but then I promise we will help you however we can before we go home. This is not the way thing were meant to be. Maybe I can’t change the past, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to change the present. We’ve got to face the Shredder, and take him down!”

“We’ve tried,” Michelangelo protested. “Too many times.”

“Well we’re going to try again Mikey,” Donatello told him. “After all, my brothers and I have done it once already; well, technically twice, if you count the one Leo killed. But if we could do it then, we can do it now.” The determination in his voice caught the other turtle’s attention. It was a very familiar tone.

Cautiously hopeful, Michelangelo asked, “You got a plan?”

“I’m working on it,” Donatello said. “But we’re going to need Leo and Raph. If this is ever going to work, _all_ of us are going to have to work together.”

“That’s tall order, Donny,” Michelangelo replied. “But I think I know somebody who can help.”

TMNTTMNT

The pair took off on another trek across the city. After a rather circuitous route, intended to throw off any tails they might have picked up, the Donatello followed his brother to a half-demolished building in the middle of the city. As they entered, Donatello was surprised to see what was basically a war room set up in the building. Maps and communication consoles filled the room, and men and women dressed in battle armor similar to Michelangelo’s were busy carrying out a variety of task around the room.

At the center of the room, standing over a large table-sized map, was an older woman. As he and Michelangelo approached in the shadows, Donatello heard her giving orders to a young woman in a voice that was hauntingly familiar, but he couldn’t quite match a face to it.

“Yo, rebel leader,” Michelangelo called to the woman. “Look what the cat dragged in.”

The woman turned and walked toward them. It took a second, but eventually Donatello recognized her. “April,” he asked in shock.

“Donatello?” April’s voice was just as shocked. But there was something about the way she said his name that perplexed him. Yes, she sounded startled, but not as startled as he had expected her to. After all, the other Donatello had been gone for thirty years. Shouldn’t she be a little more surprised?

Michelangelo must have caught it too, because he said, “What’s goin’ on, April? Aren’t you glad to see him?”

“Of course,” April replied. “It’s just, well—“

She was cut off by the excited cry of “Donatello!”

The trio turned around just in time for Donatello to catch sight of a very familiar leather-masked figure hurtling towards him. Relief flooded him, and he opened his arms to receive his twin’s embrace. For a long moment, completely oblivious to anything else going on around them, the two brothers held each other tight.

Michelangelo was at once flabbergasted and dismayed. It was obvious Donatello knew this other turtle; one of his brothers it would seem. But when the pair separated, and Michelangelo was finally able to get a good look at the newcomer, he was stunned by what he saw. Other than their masks and a few minor differences in gear, the two were identical.

“April, Michelangelo,” Donatello said. “This is my twin; Donny.”

Not sure what to say to the new turtle, Michelangelo turned to April. “Where the shell did he come from,” he asked.

“One of the patrols found him wandering the streets,” she explained. “Even though they weren’t sure exactly who he was, they knew it wouldn’t be good if the Shredder’s people found him, so they brought him here. He only got here about an hour ago.”

Well, Donatello thought, that explains the empathic impression I received. Donny must have just arrived here when I picked up on his emotions.

Michelangelo turned on the two turtles with a scowl. “All right, you two,” he growled. “I think you had better explain just what the shell is going on here.”

“I suggest we take this someplace a little more private,” Donatello said, eying the curious bystanders unabashedly watching them. “Then we’ll be more than happy to tell our story.”

TTTT

After reconvening to a more secluded room, the three turtles and April settled on the floor. Donatello took up the narrative by explaining about what took place with Leo two years before, leading up to his attempted suicide, at which point Donny took over. The younger turtle described how he and his brothers had worked to help Leo recover from his former trauma, only to have the oldest turtle’s original brothers show up. From that point on they went back and forth, describing the first showdown with the Shredder, Leo’s shooting, and all events that took place during his recovery. From there they moved on to describe what happened with the Babbots, and the nightmare that proved to be. Third, and with a great deal more difficulty, they told the story about what the Shredder, working with Darktide, had done to their family, and the final results of that confrontation (including Leo’s two deaths and his final evolution to Avatar). They concluded their story by describing Malatempa’s attack on their home, and their subsequent appearance in this world.

“Part of me doesn’t want to believe it,” April said. “But it’s hard to ignore the truth of two of you sitting here.”

Donny and Donatello sympathized with her, but their true concern was for Michelangelo. Not once during their story had the older turtle said a single word.

“Mikey, are you okay,” Donny asked, and his twin could feel the younger turtle’s innate urge to reach out and embrace the obviously hurting turtle.

“I…I’m not sure,” Michelangelo said in a voice that was not quite steady. “I’ve faced some pretty hard things; the deaths of Master Splinter and Casey at the hands of the Shredder’s troops; Leo and Raph’s abandonment; the loss of my arm. But none of it hurt as deeply as my brother’s disappearance and continued absence. And now, just when I thought I had gotten him back, I lose him again because he really doesn’t belong here.”

This time Donny couldn’t stop himself. Having spent the past several years learning how to be more open and demonstrative with his feelings, he couldn’t just by while his brother, even one from a different time and place, was hurting. He moved over to Michelangelo and wrapped his arms around him. The older turtle made no move to return the embrace, but all the same, Donatello could see him leaning into it. Whether Michelangelo was willing to admit it or not, he needed this.

“It’s going to be okay, Mikey,” Donny whispered, hugging him all the tighter. “Donatello and I, we’re going to do everything we can to help set things right. After all, our family has two Shredders to our collective name; a third one will be a cinch. And we’re going to put your family back together. We might not be able to give you back your Donatello, but we can help you regain the family you do have. Even if we have to pull the rest of our brothers here to do it.”

Michelangelo leaned back and looked this second brother in the eyes. There was such fire and determination in them, he couldn’t help but believe him. “Yeah, I think you just might,” he said softly. Turning to April he said, “Contact my brothers. We’re going to need them.”


	4. Seven Once More

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As we head further into this story, please understand this is how I see/interpret the issues the older turtles have. For those who have seen the actual episode and have you own opinions, that's fantastic! That's what's great about any story; we can all see our own reflections in it.

When Leonardo got April’s request to come the rebel headquarters, he was more than half tempted to ignore it. He had made it clear a long time ago that he wanted nothing more to do with the resistance. Already it had cost him too much: his father was dead, one brother was missing, the other two were permanently scarred and disfigured, as was he, and it all appeared to be for nothing. The Shredder was still winning, and it seemed nothing they did ever seemed to counter that.

But at the same time, a small part of Leonardo was still the honorable, idealistic turtle he’d been in his youth. It was that part of him that encouraged him to go, to try one more time. Besides, Leonardo’s instincts were telling him that, this time, there was something different. Something had changed, and just maybe that change would be enough to finally bring Saki down. Thus it was that Leonardo put his dark tinted glasses on, pulled his black trench coat over his scarred shell, and made his way out into the night.

TMNTTMNT

Across the city, a second turtle was having a similar internal battle. Raphael had no compunctions about taking on the Shredder’s goons; he just didn’t align himself with the rebellion. That didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to lend a hand if he happened on one of April’s teams that needed some help; he just didn’t go out of his way to hunt them out. Following the destruction of his family, and especially once Casey was killed, Raphael’s loner ways became solidified. He knew he hurt his younger brother by pulling away, but he couldn’t tell Michelangelo that part of his problem was the changes that had come over the youngest turtle. It hurt too much to see a cynical, battle hardened warrior where once Raphael’s light-hearted, jokester of a baby brother had been.

And now April had specifically sent for him. Raphael wasn’t sure what to make of it. His first thought was that Mikey had finally gotten himself killed, and April simply wanted to deliver the news in person. But the small part of Raphael’s heart that was still devoted to his younger sibling told him that the younger turtle was still alive. So what on earth could April want? Raphael’s gut was whispering that something big was happening; something with the potential to change the world. So the second oldest turtle found himself headed towards April’s. Whatever was going on, he was determined to be in on it.

TMNTTMNT

Leo made his way stealthily into the half-demolished building. Leaping silently through a large hole in the wall, he landed in a dark, debris-littered hallway. Not that he could see the debris; that gunk, whatever it was, that the Shredder’s little she-devil daughter had sprayed in his face had gradually and painfully stolen almost all of his sight. All that was left to him was a world of black and gray shadows. However, his other senses had sharpened in response, and his keen hearing picked up the almost silent whisper of another person in the hall with him. Pulling his single katana from its sheath on his back, he whirled to face whoever was sneaking up behind him. He was taken aback to hear Raphael growl, “What the shell are you doing here?” The longstanding bitterness between them prevented him from hearing the surprise, and deeply hidden pain, in his younger brother’s voice.

“Raph,” Leo asked softly. Then his voice hardened. “April’s guys didn’t say anything about you being here.”

“Oh, what’s the matter,” Raphael drawled sarcastically. “I remind you how you made us abandon Master Splinter when he needed us most!?” The angry turtle stalked forward until he was standing in his brother’s personal space. Reaching out he grabbed his brother’s sword arm, only to have Leo shrug away from his touch.

“It’s what he wanted Raph,” Leo growled. “To save us. If we had gone back there we would have all been destroyed.”

“We could have saved him!”

By this time the brothers were face to face.

“You know we couldn’t,” Leo all but yelled at his brother. “He was gone.”

“No,” Raphael exclaimed, and he shoved his brother backwards.

“All right, Raph,” Leo said, brandishing his katana. “I’m through talking. Let’s settle this once and for all!” He raised his sword to strike, but before either he or Raphael could attack, they were simultaneously swatted across the plastron by a powerful blow from a very familiar bo staff, knocking them both backwards onto their posteriors.

“That will be quite enough out of the two of you,” a very familiar voice said, though the tone was angrier that Leonardo could every remember hearing it. His surprise was turned to puzzlement, however, when a second, almost identical voice added, “Geesh, and I thought our Raphael and Leo were bad.”

“Donny?”

“Donatello?” Leo and Raph asked in unison.

“In a manner of speaking,” the second voice said. Leo could just vaguely make out three new shadows joining him and Raphael in the hallway.

“What the shell,” Leonardo heard Raphael whisper. “Two of them?”

Suddenly things were a little clearer for Leonardo. That’s why he had heard two different, though very similar voices; there were two Donatello’s. 

“Kind of,” the first Donatello said. “You can call me Donatello. My twin is Donny.”

Leo scowled at the pair, more to hide his unexpected flash of pain that _his_ Donatello hadn’t returned than because he was truly irritated at them.

“What can we do you for you two,” he asked archly.

“We need your help,” Donatello said, but that was all he got out before Leo scoffed at him.

“To what? Get home,” he asked nastily. “It’s obvious the two of you aren’t from around here. In case you haven’t noticed, though, we’re kind of in the middle of a worldwide apocalypse here. Sorry, we’re a little busy.”

If Leonardo was expecting the younger turtle to back down, he was in for a big surprise. Instead, Donatello said, “Can the attitude, buster. Things haven’t been so peachy for us either, so don’t go giving me any of your attitude.”

“Whatever,” Leonardo huffed. “I’m out of here.”

He moved to leave, but found his way blocked by the ticked off Donatello. “Move,” he ordered.

“No way in hell,” Donatello said. “You’re going to listen to me, if I have to beat it into your stubborn head.”

“You’re welcome to try ‘little brother,’” Leo taunted, drawing his katana once more. Donatello sighed. Then, moving faster than anyone, except for Donny, was expecting, he leaped over the older turtle’s head, and whacked him upside the head with his bo. Leo dropped immediately.

“Stubborn idiot,” Donatello said with irritated affection as he knelt to check on his “victim.” Leo’s breathing was just fine, and there wasn’t even a lump where Donatello had hit him. “He’ll be fine,” Donatello told the others. “But he’s going to be out for a bit, so we’ll need a place to stash him until he wakes up. Preferably someplace we can lock him in until we have the chance to talk with him.”

“Hand him here,” Mikey said with a heavy sigh. “I know where we can put him. It won’t hold him for long, but maybe it will be long enough.”

Donatello and Donny hauled the heavy older turtle off the floor and helped get him situated on Mikey’s shoulders. Quietly the orange-masked turtle disappeared down the hall with his unconscious burden. That left Donny and Donatello with just Raphael.

“So, are you going to come quietly, or do I need to give you similar ‘demonstration,’” Donny asked.

Raphael just gave him a smirk. “Hey, it was worth it to see you cold-cock Leo. I think I’ll hang around for a bit.” And with that he turned and meandered off down the hall.

As the older turtle disappeared into the murky corridor, Donny and Donatello could only turn and look at each other in dismay. This certainly wasn’t going the way they had hoped. Both Raphael and Leonardo had been even more hard-headed than they had been told to expect. And speaking of the older turtles, the next time they saw Mikey they were going to have to have words with him about not giving them a heads up about the exact nature of his brothers’ injuries _before_ coming face-to-face with them. It had been hard not to stare or cry out when they saw Leonardo’s blind eyes or Raphael’s missing one.

Donny reached over and wrapped an arm around his twin’s shoulders. The younger turtle lay his head on his brother’s shoulder and said softly, “I wish _our_ brothers were here. Leo and the others would have this family straightened out in no time at all.”

“I know what you mean,” Donatello replied, hugging his twin. “I wish they were here too. This world wouldn’t know what had hit it.”

For a long moment, the brothers just sat in silence, quietly yearning for the family that seemed so far away.

TTTT

In a dimension that wasn’t nearly as far away as it seemed, Leo was sitting on the floor of the dojo, deep in meditation. He had been at this for nearly a week now, desperately searching “out there” for any trace of his missing brothers. On this particular day he had been at it nearly an hour, and was about to take a break, when something very familiar caught his attention. At first, it was just a glimmer, but as he focused more intently on it, that glimmer became the glowing presence of not one, but both of the Geniuses. With an exclamation of triumph, Leo sent out a “call” to his other brothers through their empathic link. He had found them, and it was time to go get them.

Throughout the Lair, the others quickly gathered up their travel bags. They had put them together days before for just such an occurrence. This way they could grab them and go as soon as Leo located their siblings. As the Brats emerged from their rooms, they stopped to grab two additional bags: Donny’s and Donatello’s. From there, all five turtles and their sensei reconvened in the dojo.

“I have found them, father,” Leo told Splinter, a relieved smile splitting his face. His father returned the look proudly.

“I never doubted you would, my son,” he said warmly. “No go. Fetch your brothers home. They have been gone much too long.”

Leo gave a small bow, then turned away from his family. Refocusing his concentration on the double presence he had never quite let go, he “reached” out, opening a portal into that distant world. As before, a golden portal appeared before the brothers, and as a group they stepped through.

TTTT

Donny and Donatello had just separated, and were about to head off down the hall in search of Mikey and the others, when both sensed a faint humming in the air. Almost immediately, a very familiar gash of light split the air, slowly opening wide enough to admit six very welcome figures through it.

The next few minutes were chaos as the two Geniuses were noisily and happily reunited with their siblings. Of course the first to reach them were the Brats. With identical squeals of “Bro,” the two youngest turtles hurtled themselves at the overwhelmed Donny and Donatello, though they returned the hugs with unusual fervor. No sooner had they traded hugs with each of the Brats, than they found themselves in the unusual experience of being hugged by not only Raph, but Raphael as well. There was no snide or sarcastic comment, just the fervent whisper of “Don’t you two ever scare me like that again!”

Finally, Donny and Donatello were left to face their big brother. Leo didn’t say a word; he just drew them both in for a tight hug. As they soaked up the warm presence of their strong, whole oldest sibling, Donny and Donatello found their control beginning to slip. Immediately they felt Leo’s soothing emotions washing over them, calming their minds. In return, they sent him all the fear, worry, shock, and every other emotion they had experienced since arriving in this nightmare world. Leo simply accepted it all, allowing his own strength and calm help them banish all the negative emotions they had been bombarded with over the past several days. In the end, it was two much calmer turtles that stepped away from the embrace with their big brother.

“Are we glad to see all of you,” Donny said as he stood facing his family, enjoying the feel of Michelangelo’s arm draped companionably across his shoulders. The younger turtles had latched onto their two missing siblings as soon as they had moved away from Leo.

“Are you two okay,” Raph asked, concern darkening his eyes as he scanned his siblings.

“Physically we’re fine,” Donatello assured him. “Emotionally, well, that might be a different story.” Very quickly he gave his brothers a run-down of everything that had happened to him since his arrival in this dark world. Donny filled in his few minor details, and then the pair described the showdown they had just had with the older turtles from this dimension.

“It’s really sad,” Donny told his brothers. “Watching them, you can see they still care about each other, but they’ve put so many walls that they don’t know how to connect anymore. That’s done more to destroy them than anything the Shredder has done.”

“Well, it’s not our problem,” Raphael said. “I say we let you two go make your goodbyes, and then we clear out of here as fast as we can.”

“We can’t,” Donatello protested. “We gave our word that we would do our best to help them out, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

“Don—“ Raphael started.

“Don’t ‘Don‘ me,” Donatello told him. “We made a promise. We would do far more damage if we broke that promise than if we attempted to help out.”

“Leo, make them see sense,” Raphael appealed to his older brother.

“Unfortunately, bro, I’m on their side,” Leo said. “I have a feeling our coming here wasn’t merely by chance. We’re needed here; all of us. Besides, our brothers gave their word, and we will not aid them in going back on it.”

“Hmph,” Raphael snorted, but his body language suggested he wasn’t as irritated as he sounded.

“So, dudes, what’s the plan,” Mike asked.

“The first thing we need to do is get our other brothers back together as a family,” Donatello said. “That’s not going to be easy. But I think having the rest of you around will make that happen much faster than if we were doing this on our own. After all, I just had to knock this world’s Leonardo out just to keep him from storming off. I’m afraid we haven’t started out on the best foot.”

“We can work around it,” Leo said. “After all, even if he is something of a prick, he’s still me. And I happen to know a couple of turtles who can get through to me better than anyone else.” He looked at the Menaces. His brothers had to admit he was right. If anyone could get through to Leo, it would be the double team of Raph and Raphael.

“Okay, we’ll take the hard head,” Raphael said. “Who’s gonna take on the hothead?”

“I think the Brats would be most suitable for that job,” Donny said. “I got the impression that Raphael really misses his little brother. Maybe _our_ little brothers will be able to get through to him.”

“Then that just leaves Michelangelo,” Donatello said. “And I think Leo is the best one suited for this job. After all, Michelangelo hasn’t had a big brother to talk to or follow in a long time. And no matter how independent he acts, he’s still the baby of the family, and having his brothers desert him like they have has really done a number on him. Maybe a little ‘big brother’ action will help.”

“It certainly can’t hurt to try,” Leo said, automatically taking the lead. “Now, why don’t you tell us whatever you can about our counterparts? We need to know everything possible before we meet them and set this plan into action.”

With that, the brother sat down and began to plot out of the fall of this particularly well guarded house. Donny and Donatello smiled to themselves; as they had said earlier, their brothers’ counterparts weren’t going to know what hit them.


	5. Meeting of the Minds

When the older Michelangelo returned about half an hour later to look for Donny and Donatello, he was shocked to find not two turtles waiting for him, but seven.

“Mike,” Donny greeted him warmly, “come meet the rest of our family.”

“Wait, how did they get here,” the one-armed turtle asked in confusion as he allowed himself to be led toward the group.

“I’ll explain later,” Donny told him. “Right now I want you to meet everyone.”

“As if I didn’t know who they are already,” the older turtle groused. Without thinking, Donny did what he would have done if one of the Brats had spoken to him that way; he smacked him upside the back of his head. “Hey,” the grumpier-than-Raphael turtle complained, rubbing his head, “What’d you do that for?” For the first time since Donatello and his twin had met this twisted version of their baby brothers, the other turtle actually sounded like the Michelangelos they knew and loved, rather than some war-hardened wanna-be.

“You know why,” Donny told him smartly. “Now shut up and pay attention. Okay, the two smiling twits over there by Donatello you ought to know very well. The one in the leather mask is Mikey; he’s my brother. His ‘twin’ in the orange mask is Michelangelo, who is Donatello’s brother. Now, whatever you do, try not to mix up their names. They don’t play nice when that happens, and then we get stuck cleaning up after them. Oh, and when referring to them together, we usually just call them ‘the Brats’ and leave it at that.”

The oldest Michelangelo mumbled something snide under his breath. Fortunately for him, Donny didn’t hear him. Unfortunately for him, Raphael did.

Stepping up into the older turtle’s personal space, Raphael growled, “Keep it civil, buster. You may be mister big and bad in this world, but I can still kick your shell down your throat if necessary.”

“What, you think because I only have one arm you could take me, pipsqueak,” the scarred turtle challenged. Raphael just smirked.

“You may have only one arm, but the Brats have four between the two of them, and I take them quite regularly,” he said. “Of course, that could be because they only have one brain between the two of them, but that’s neither here nor there. But if you want to try your luck, I’m more than willing to oblige.”

The older turtle didn’t have a chance to respond, for a simple “Raphael” from Leo had the younger turtle relaxing slightly and moving back to his place at his big brother’s side.

“As you can see,” Donatello told Mike, “the Raphael from my dimension is not a whole lot different from yours. Donny’s brother is a little more reasonable, but both of them are a very protective, as you’ve seen, but especially of Leo. What they might put up with in regard to the rest of us won’t fly with either of them if directed at Leo, so watch what you say. Oh, and like the Brats, my brother, the one it the colored mask, goes by his full name, while the other one, Donny’s brother, goes by Raph. We generally refer to them separately, unless we’re feeling particularly happy with them, or really irritated with them, in which case they become ‘the Menaces,’ as in ‘menace to society.’ And then, of course, there’s Leo. He’s still the typical big brother: overprotective, perfection driven, though not nearly as bad as he used to be, and about the best turtle you could ever want at your back in a bad situation; or a good situation at that.”

After Donny and Donatello finished their introductions, the older Michelangelo just stood looking at the newly reunited family. Deep down inside he felt a stirring of both jealousy and hurt. It had been far too long since he’d been this close to his brothers. He watched with envy as Donny teasingly reached over to tweak the tails of Mikey’s mask, causing the younger turtle to jump and swat at his brother. But even more painful was the clear devotion shown by both Raph and Raphael toward Leo. They stood on either side of their big brother, like a pair of loyal lieutenants watching their general’s back. His family had been like this once. There had been a time, back before his own brilliant brother had disappeared, that his life had been filled with this same easy camaraderie, when he himself had been full of jokes and laughter, and Raphael and Leonardo had actually cared for one another instead of despising the other’s continued existence. Seeing that love and affection displayed so openly before him once more made him long for things that could never be.

Burying his longing under a shallow veneer of anger, Michelangelo snapped, “Yeah, whatever. Just come one. April’s waiting.”

As he turned and stalked off down the hallway, his progress was watched by the very clear eyes of Leonardo, who couldn’t help smiling to himself. Whether this version of Michelangelo wanted to admit it or not, he longed for what Leo and his brothers had. And if Leo had his way, Michelangelo would be given that very thing. It was obviously going to take some work, but Leo had never given up on a brother yet, and he wasn’t about to start now.

TTTT

April was even more shocked to meet Donny and Donatello’s brothers than Michelangelo had been. But five minutes in the younger turtles’ presence, she did something the maimed turtle hadn’t experienced in over a decade. April laughed. He had seen her grin briefly, and even given the occasional chuckle over some stupid moved on the Shredder’s part. But he had not heard her genuine laughter in over ten years. It made him slightly envious that it was his younger alternates that won that much missed sound from his old friend. All it took was each of them bestowing the most gallant of kisses to her hand, like a pair of knights in shining armor, and April was laughing like she hadn’t in years.

“Well, while you certainly weren’t expected, you are more than welcome,” April told the family. “We can use whatever help you can provide.”

“We’ll help however we can,” Leo told her. “But we need to know exactly what it is we’re up against.”

“Well then take a seat,” April said, leading them over to a large conference table. “I’ll do my best to describe the situation. Up until fifteen years ago, we all thought Saki was simply a slimy underworld figure with a really good public image. He had the mayor, along with every big-name business man across the country, in his pocket, which allowed him to run his illegal activities without opposition. What we didn’t realize was that Saki was slowly setting things up so that he could take over the country in one fell swoop. By the time anyone realized what was happening, it was too late. And it was even worse than we realized. Not only had he taken control of New York City, but all of the big cities across the country, including DC. He had control of everything, and there was nothing we could do about it. That’s when we discovered that the truth was even more bizarre than we had ever imagined. It turned out that Saki isn’t even human.”

April hit a button on the table, and the image of a creature that looked some sort of brain with eyes, a mouth, and tentacles appeared. The seven younger turtles gasped in horrified shock. “This is what Saki looks like in his natural form,” April explained. “From the intel we have been able to gather over the years, he’s a part of a race called the Utroms. In fact, he’s a criminal exile from his own homeworld. He’s been here on Earth for an indeterminate amount of time, working to develop the means to return to his own planet and take it over as well. The figure we usually saw, the human looking one, was actually an exo-suit he used to protect himself and to pass as human long enough to set up operations here on Earth.”

Leo leaned forward, taking a closer look at the disgusting looking alien. “This is unbelievable,” he said. “It makes me wonder about those two Shredders we killed before.”

“I hate to tell you, but if he was an alien too, unless to you gutted him, there’s a good chance he’s still alive,” Michelangelo said harshly. To his surprise, the other turtles relaxed at hearing that.

“Then we’re good to go,” Mikey said. “Leo stabbed our Shredder through the gut with both katanas, and then Raph ran the second Shredder through with his sai. And then Master Splinter blew him up. So, yeah, we’re good.”

April just smiled at the youngest turtle’s enthusiastic response, even over the oldest Michelangelo’s snort of disgust, and said, “Sounds like you’re probably right. And you’re fortunate. In any case, the next figure you need to know is this lady.” The image of a silver-haired woman of obvious Japanese descent appeared. “This is Karai,” April said. “She is Saki’s adopted daughter, and his right-hand man.”

“She’s the one who led the attack on the Lair,” the one-armed Michelangelo added. “It’s directly because of her that Master Splinter was killed, and both Leo and Raph lost their eyes.”

“Wait, what happened to Hun,” Donny asked. “I thought he was Shredder’s number one henchman.”

“I don’t know about in your world, but in this world there was, for a number of years, a running competition between Hun and Doctor Baxter Stockman to see who could come out on top in the Shredder’s appreciation,” April explained. “However, by the time it was all said and done, Stockman was simply a brain in a jar grotesquely melded to Hun’s body. After that happened, the pair of them came, rather unwillingly on Hun’s part, to work for us. Stockman was working on creating an operational battle exo-suit for us when he and Hun were found by Saki’s troops during a scavenging mission, where upon they were promptly shot and killed. Since then, the battle suit has been put on hold, simply because we haven’t had anyone with the technical know-how to finish it.”

At this, Donny’s and Donatello’s eyes lit up. As one, they turned begging eyes on Leo. He just gave them a long-suffering smile. “All right, I will dismiss you two from morning practice,” he said. “But evening practice is a must.”

“Deal,” the younger turtles said, even as the older Michelangelo said, “What are you talking about?”

“We’re going to need to space to use for practice,” Leo said. “We may not be at the Lair, but that doesn’t mean we can shirk our practices. If we’re going to be at our best, we still need the practice.”

At this, the scarred turtle climbed to his feet, and leaned across the table to get in Leo’s face. “You are the biggest bag of wind I have ever seen,” he said with a scowl. “In case you didn’t notice, we’re in the middle of a war. We don’t have time for ‘practice,’ of anything so ‘civilized.’ Besides, who asked you to come in and take over? You don’t know anything about this world or how it works, so just keep your bright ideas to yourself!”

And with that, the older turtle stormed away from the table.

“Why that little…” Raphael growled, but Leo simply raised his hand, and Raphael went quiet immediately.

“Leave him be, Raphael,” Leo said. “We’ve kind of turned his world upside down. He has the right to be a little distressed. Right now, we need to let April finish.”

April flashed him a grin. “Okay, there’s not a whole lot more. These,” April said, the image of a metallic figure that looked something like Karai appearing on the screen, “are Karai legion bots. They serve as Saki’s main foot soldiers. They’re faster and stronger, and damn near impossible to destroy. They’re actually the basis for the exo-suit Stockman was putting together. Other than that, the only thing I can think that you might need to know is that Saki should have his transporter completed here within the next week and a half, if our sources are correct. We will need to move before then to make sure he can’t use it.”

Leo sat thinking for a few moments, digesting everything April had told them. Finally he looked up and met her eyes. “I think we can do this,” Leo said confidently. “I have the beginnings of a plan, but it’s going to require the Genius twins over there to get that battle suit completed. Until then, we’re going to need a place to stay and someplace where we can hold our practices that will be out of the way of your people.”

“I think we can handle that,” April said. “There are enough abandoned rooms in this building that we should be able to find something appropriate for your use.”

“Good,” Leo said. “Then this is what we’ll do. We’ll get a good night’s sleep tonight, including you two,” he added, looking pointedly at Donny and Donatello. “In the morning, the Geniuses can take a look at the battle suit and give us an estimate on how long they think it will take them to get it finished, or even if using it is going to be a viable option. From there we’ll sit down and hammer out a full-fledged plan of attack. Does that sound agreeable?”

This time it was April’s turn to give the young turtle leader a considering look. At last she said, “You know what? For the first time I think we actually have a fighting chance to win this war. Okay, we’ll do it your way.” The pair shook hands. “Now, follow me, I’ll show you where the seven of you can bunk down, and give you a couple of options for rooms you can use for practice. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which one will suit you best.”

And with that, she led the seven brothers out of the room, a lightness to her step that hadn’t been there in years.


	6. Opening Eyes

It was a few hours later that Michelangelo, the oldest one that is, found himself wandering silently through the deserted halls of the HQ. He’d never seemed to need quite as much sleep as his brother (with only Donatello being able to outlast him), and the trait had stayed with him into adulthood. Of course, with his nightmares, sleep wasn’t exactly an inviting prospect anyway.

As the one-armed turtle walked the halls, he couldn’t keep his mind off everything that had happened over the past week. First, Donatello had returned, only he turned out not to be Mike’s missing brother, as evidenced by the twin that came with him as part of a matched set. That had been hard on the older turtle, almost like losing his brother all over again. But at the same time, having Donny and Donatello around had reawakened a sense of family that Michelangelo hadn’t realized he had been missing. Then Leonardo and Raphael had arrived and, without even a greeting for their youngest sibling, had proceeded to try and kill each other. Watching his oldest brothers, his childhood heroes, fight had nearly broken Michelangelo’s heart once more, though he did have to admit that watching Donny and Donatello smack some sense into the pair’s heads had been quite humorous, even if Leonardo had still tried to stalk off afterward. If Donatello hadn’t done it, Michelangelo had been tempted to try beating some sense into his stubborn oldest brother’s thick skull.

And then _they_ had arrived; Donny and Donatello’s real family. Once again, for all intents and purposes, Michelangelo had been left alone. The rest of the younger turtles had reabsorbed their missing brothers like a dry sponge to water. But, looking back on the encounter now, with clearer eyes, Michelangelo had to admit that the invitation to join them, to likewise be absorbed into that family, had been extended to him as well. That was why Donny and Donatello, or the Genius twins as he’d heard one of the others call them, had made sure they introduced him to their brothers. In the short time they had been with him in his world, they had been able to see past the scars and the gruff manner and find the brother hidden under all the hurt and anger. The brother who, if he was willing to admit it, was missing his family desperately, and wanted nothing more than to embrace that invitation as tightly as he could.

That was why he got so angry with the younger Leonardo tonight at the meeting with April. Somehow, despite being half his age, the young Leo had been able to see too deeply into Michelangelo. Those chocolate colored eyes, filled with a knowledge no one that young should have, had scared Michelangelo. Not only had they seen too much, they had empathized too much as well. And not only that, but Michelangelo found himself resenting Leo for being what his own brother had never been: a constant source of strength for his family. Mike knew what Leo was doing in insisting that the others conform to a practice schedule. He was enforcing order in a world that was otherwise chaotic. Following his Donatello’s disappearance, the only source of continued stability in the oldest Michelangelo’s world had been Master Splinter. The old rat’s presence had imposed a sense of stability on a world slowly falling into upheaval. When his father had been killed, however, no one had stepped up to fill the gap. Both Leo and Raphael had been too wounded, both physically and emotionally, to take that role. Instead, they had both retreated, leaving their younger brother to make do as well as he could on his own.

As soon as Michelangelo’s arm had healed enough for him to be up and about, he had set about imposing control on the only thing he had influence over: himself. He made himself abandon his old ways of joking and laughter, and instead focus on his training. There was no one there to help him through the painful rehabilitation, so he had learned to rely solely on himself. He had spent countless hours re-teaching himself how to use his beloved weapon one-handed. With the loss of his arm, his balance had been thrown off, and learning how to compensate had not been easy, but he had made himself do it. Then, once he had regained his original skill level, he had pushed himself even further, until he would have rivaled even Leonardo in his abilities. And through it all, he ignored his loneliness, the longing to have his family back once again, until he was finally able to convince himself that he didn’t need them, or anyone for that matter.

It was a lie that he had believed for over twenty years. But standing here now, looking in on the sleeping visitors, he had to recognize it for the lie it was. Hiding in the shadows, he watched as the younger turtles slept. Leo was, unsurprisingly, at the center. Cuddled up on each shoulder were Donny and Donatello. It was obvious they were in desperate need of their older brother’s soothing presence, for they were each clinging to him in their sleep, like a pair of toddlers to a beloved stuffed toy. Snuggled up to each of the Geniuses was one of the Brats. It brought tears to Michelangelo’s eyes, for he could easily remember nights he had done that very same thing: sought out Donatello’s bed when his own overactive imagination had driven him from sleep. While Leonardo and Raphael had always seemed so aloof toward their youngest brother, Don had always been very caring and patient, never making fun of his younger sibling for his nightmares. And then there was Raph and Raphael. It was clear the two hot-headed turtles had set themselves up as the watchmen for the family. Although they were both sound asleep, anyone trying to get to the rest of their brothers would have to get past their sleeping forms to do so.

With one last look, Michelangelo turned and left the room. Whatever it took, he would make sure these youngsters made it home safely. He owed them that much. But no matter what, he wouldn’t let them any further into his heart than he already had. Losing that connection once more would finish him off as surely as the Shredder’s claws.

TTTT

From his place scrunched between his brothers, Leo watched the older turtle come in and, after a few minutes of silent watch, silently leave the room once more. It was clear to the young Avatar that Michelangelo was hurting. The older turtle wanted so desperately to have a family again, but he was understandably afraid. Which meant that getting him to let his barriers down was going to be a challenge. But that didn’t matter. Sure, Michelangelo may have been over twice Leo’s age, but when it came to family, age didn’t matter. Because Leo had seen something in those haunted blue eyes. Hidden deep in those orbs had been a hint of the turtle Michelangelo had once been, with all the teasing and the laughter just waiting to spring forth. Even more importantly, Leo had seen hope. Whether Michelangelo was aware of it or not, he had once more begun to hope. Not just that his world would finally be freed, but that his family would once again come back together. It was a hope Leo was determined he would not let die. It would take careful nurturing, but he would help that hope to bloom. And somehow, someway, he and his brothers would help to heal this third family of theirs. 

TMNTTMNT

The next morning, after stretching and warming up with their brothers, Donny and Donatello were dismissed to begin work on their project. Leo then did something he rarely condoned at home, and set his four other brothers to work with their twins. Usually Leo insisted on breaking up the twins, simply because he wanted them to have to stretch their abilities; he had specific reasons for not doing so now. First, it would be much easier to carry out their goals of rehabilitating their counterparts if the twins assigned to the older turtles (i.e. the Brats to Raphael and the Menaces to Leonardo), if they were already working together. Secondly, until he and his brothers had the time to devote to some intense team building exercises, it was essential that each turtle have at least one partner whose skills they were as intimately familiar with as their own, especially given the inevitable battle they had ahead of them. With this in mind, Leo had decided it would be easiest if the brothers worked with their twins, since their skills were already so closely paralleled. Once they got home again he would set out working on switching things up a bit, but that was a thought for another time and place.

Suddenly an oddly familiar voice pulled Leo’s attention away from where he was working with the Brats.

“Well, dice me up and serve me as turtle soup,” the older Raphael exclaimed. “There _are_ more of you. April told me so, but I didn’t believe it until now.”

Leo appraised the older turtle. Like Michelangelo, this Raphael was visibly scarred by his life in this darker reality. In addition to his missing eye, his shell and plastron were covered in a number of old, healed over scars that bespoke of a much harsher, embattled existence. And despite the lighter tone, his eyes were just as shuttered as Michelangelo’s. Watching the closed-off body language ignited a sense of grief in Leo. How horrible, he thought, that these brothers had become so lost to each other, just when they needed each other the most.

Still, Raphael was Raphael, no matter what dimension he was from, and Leo knew he had to handle the older turtle very carefully. Unlike Michelangelo who, despite his older age, had unconsciously treated Leo with the same regard he would have granted his own older brother, Leo knew this Raphael would resent having a youngster dictating to him, at least until Leo had won his respect. With that in mind, Leo cautiously approached the more experienced turtle, and bowed respectfully to him, as a junior to senior warrior.

“Welcome,” he said, making sure to keep his tone respectful, but not obsequious. It wouldn’t do to make Raphael think he was being made fun of. “We were just starting our morning exercises. You may join us if you like.”

The single-eyed turtle gave Leo a thoughtful look. He had been startled by the bow, and the polite, almost friendly greeting coming in his brother’s, albeit younger, voice had thrown him off stride. 

“Thanks, but no thanks,” he said gruffly. “I’m not much of one for group dynamics, if you catch my drift.”

Leo just nodded his head. “Understandable,” he said. “Well, I guess you can stay and watch if you want. And feel free to jump in at any time. We can use whatever help we can get.” With that, he turned and purposely moved to work with Raph and Raphael, leaving the Brats to surreptitiously work their magic on the older turtle.

At first, Raphael could only sit and watch in something akin to shock. When he head heard that the rest of Donny and Donatello’s family had arrived, it hadn’t clicked what exactly that meant. Watching the five younger turtles, however, he was struck by a sense of longing and nostalgia. Once upon a time, these youngsters had been him and his brothers. He watched with hooded eyes as Leo gently but firmly corrected Raphael’s stance. Rather than explode with indignation over the correction as the older Raphael half expected him to do, however, the younger turtle simply grinned, made some sort of smart-ass remark to his older brother, and made the necessary adjustments. Even more disarming and alluring, however, were the taunts and laughter being shared by the two younger versions of Michelangelo. The two youngest, nunchuck-wielding turtles were bouncing around like a pair of pinballs on steroids. Raphael couldn’t remember the last time his own little brother had laughed that freely. Shell, he couldn’t remember the last time Michelangelo had laughed at all. 

As he became more focused on watching the younger pair, Raphael began to notice a number of small, but potentially deadly mistakes in their motions. He looked over at Leo, but the young leader was completely focused on his own two younger versions. Raphael was about to move to correct the two youngest turtles, when a gravelly, almost snotty voice from behind him said, “So, it wasn’t a bad joke. There _are_ more of them.”

Raphael turned to scowl at his older brother. “How would you know,” he asked hostilely. “It’s not like you can _see_ them.” Perhaps it was watching the gentler interactions between the younger turtles, or maybe Raphael was truly _seeing_ his brother for the first time in years, but he actually saw Leo flinch at that dig. Still, pride held him back from apologizing for the harsh statement.

“Whatever,” Leonardo growled back. “It’s not like we need them. Having them here isn’t gong to make a difference one way or the other. They’ll just be more bodies for the Shredder to roll over.”

Turning back to where the younger turtle were practicing, demonstrating a speed and strength that Raphael had never encountered before, not even in his Leonardo, the older turtle felt the smallest stirrings of hope. Something about these youngsters made him think that it just might be possible to win this war after all. “I think you’re wrong,” he told Leonardo quietly. “There’s something to these boys. And while you may not be able to see as well as you once did, you’re not nearly as blind as you pretend to be. So why don’t you open your eyes for once and look past your own anger and hurt.”

“And what about you ‘Cyclops,’” Leonardo asked snidely. “Last I knew you weren’t seeing the world a whole lot better than I am.”

“Let’s just say my vision has been expanded,” Raphael said. “Maybe you ought to give it a try.” With that, he climbed to his feet and moved out onto the floor where the two youngest turtles were practicing. Even if Leonardo wasn’t willing to take advantage of the opportunity placed before them, Raphael was willing to grab on with both hands, and see where it took him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote this years ago, I discovered that the older version of Raphael is one of my favorites to write. Don't know why, but he was just a lot of fun.


	7. The First Step is Always the Hardest

After Raphael walked off, Leonardo sat thinking about what his brother had said. If he was honest with himself he had to admit that he, too, felt that there was something special about these young newcomers. Part of it, Leonardo surmised, was how they had been able to overcome and overlook their differences and forge a brand new family from the shattered remains of their previous ones. From what little April had been able to tell him, these younger versions of he and his brothers had been even more devastated than Leonardo and his siblings were now. And yet they had surmounted the odds and come out stronger for the experience. If only he and his brothers could do the same.

Looking back, Leonardo mentally retraced the path that had led to where he and his brothers were today. It had all started with Donatello’s disappearance. That had been his first failure in that he was both unable to prevent it, and that he was not able to restore his lost brother, no matter how long or hard he had searched. Not even Raphael knew how many long hours he had spent scouring the city for some sign of his missing sibling. From there his failures just continued to pile up on after another. He failed to be the leader his father expected him to be. He failed to support his brothers as they suffered through their own sense of loss and grief. And then Karai had led the attack on the Lair, and he had faced his ultimate failure. He had failed to protect his home and his brothers. He had failed to save his father. And in the end, he failed to save himself. When it had become clear that he would never regain full use of his eyes, Leonardo had simply accepted it as fit punishment for allowing his brothers to be so badly wounded, and for permitting his father to die in his place. In light of what his brothers had lost, Michelangelo’s arm and Raphael’s eye, as well as their father, Leonardo felt he had gotten off lightly. Ashamed and disgusted with himself, he had purposefully withdrawn from his remaining family. It hurt him, soul-deep, to stay away, but as far as he was concerned, all he brought on his family was misery and dishonor. The pain of removing himself from their lives was all he deserved. They were better off without him around.

But that begged the question: why did he argue so forcefully with Raphael if deep down he agreed with his hot-headed sibling’s view of him? It was a complicated issue. Even though he had withdrawn from his brothers, Leonardo couldn’t stop himself from looking after them however he could. In the case of Raphael, he knew his younger brother needed someone to blame for what happened that night. It was a little twisted, Leonardo acknowledged that, but by arguing with Raphael, Leonardo was able to keep all the blame focused on himself. It was the only way he could keep Raphael from self-destructing with self-hate. With the younger turtle blaming his older brother for the loss of their father, he didn’t have time to redirect any of his guilt on himself. It wasn’t much, but if it kept Raphael alive, Leonardo could allow his brother to continue to hate him until his dying day. The other part, however, was that deep-down Leonardo was in some way hoping that Raphael would actually follow through and put him out of his misery. Yet at the same time, he fought back, because he knew that Raphael ever did manage to kill him, the guilt would destroy his brother. As has been stated, his reasoning was twisted, but after all the destruction that made up his world, keeping one’s sanity completely intact was all but impossible to do.

On the other hand, Leonardo’s reasoning for staying away from Michelangelo was much more straightforward. He had already cost his younger brother so much (his best friend [, his father, his home, his arm, and his innocence), that finally Leonardo decided he was no good for his youngest sibling. All he brought was hurt and destruction to his world, so he pulled away. He knew that had hurt Michelangelo as well, but he simply took that as proof that he had no business being around his younger brother. So he left; sort of. He made sure he kept up with his brother’s exploits through April. The tough rebel leader had begged him on numerous occasions to please, come back to his brother’s side, but Leonardo couldn’t do it. Staying away and working from the fringes were his penance. The constant fear that his brothers would be killed without him being there were the only atonement he was able to make, because even more than he feared his brothers’ deaths without him there to watch their backs, he feared the deaths he was certain he would bring upon them if he was to return. So he stayed away and watched over them from a distance.

Only, now these younger turtles had arrived, and Leonardo’s worldview was being threatened. With a heavy heart, and no small amount of envy, he listened at the two younger versions of Raphael teased and joked with their big brother. There was no hiding the affection in their taunts and insults, and it was just as clear that young Leo was equally devoted to them. Just then, a quiet, familiar step alerted Leonardo to April’s presence before she even spoke.

“Leo,” she called to the younger turtle. “The…,” she stumbled over the word for a moment before saying, “Donny and Donatello said they need to see you down in the lab.”

“It’s okay, April,” Leo replied, chuckling at her hesitation to use his brainiac brothers’ nickname as he and his second younger brothers paused in their exercise. “You can call them the Genius twins. Or the Geeks, if you prefer. They don’t mind. And it’s a lot easier than using their names all the time.”

“It just feels, I don’t know, disrespectful,” she told him a little self-consciously.

“Then just use whatever makes you comfortable,” Leo told her. “Now, if you can give me a minute to leave some instructions for these two bone heads, I’ll be along shortly.” With that, he turned back to his younger brothers. “Okay, you two keep working together. From the looks of things, Raphael has taken control of the Brats for the time being. I suggest you keep sparring for another twenty minutes, then go ahead and cool down. We’ll all meet back up later this afternoon for a progress report, and then we can get started with our evening practice.”

“Will do, Leader Mine,” Raphael said, and the older Leonardo was shocked to hear no mockery, other than good natured teasing that is, in his tone. That same comment, coming from _his_ Raphael, would have been overflowing with sarcasm and resentment at being told what to do.

Still feeling a little off balance, Leonardo listened as his younger self disappeared out the door and down the hall. He was replaying the scene over in his mind, particularly Raphael’s teasing rather than angry response to his brother’s command, when suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by having Raph fall literally in his lap.

“Watch it, brattling,” Leo growled as he stood up, dumping Raph on his butt on the floor.

Staring up at the ill-tempered older turtle, Raph knew he could respond in one of two ways. Either he could act like Raphael and snap back, which was rather his first inclination, or he could reign in his temper and maybe surprise the older turtle out of his. Going with his instincts, Raph chose the second response.

“Sorry,” he apologized as he climbed to his feet. “My twin and I are working on some new moves, and we haven’t quite got the hang of them yet.”

Leonardo just grunted in response, but inside he was astonished. He had thoroughly expected the younger turtle to snap back with some snotty little reply. The apology had come as a complete shock. It made Leonardo realize that his behavior had been completely inappropriate. After all, he was the one all but sitting in the middle of the makeshift dojo in the middle of a practice session. Moving to the edge of the room, Leonardo turned his attention to the two sai-bearing turtles. No one else knew this, but Leonardo’s vision wasn’t as depleted as it would seem. Because the agent that Karai had sprayed in his face had been in liquid form, it had splattered his eyes rather than evenly coating them. The result was that his vision was rather like a broken puzzle. Some pieces were missing altogether, leaving blanks spots. Others were blurry and indistinct, while yet others were as clear as always. However, his eyes had become extremely sensitive to light, so the oldest turtle had taken to wearing dark tinted glasses, even when inside.

With his limited vision, Leonardo observed as Raph and Raphael continued their sparring. Leonardo watched as the pair moved with a speed and agility that didn’t seem natural. They weren’t using weapons, but at the speeds they were moving they didn’t need them. As he watched, however, he saw a tiny flaw in each younger turtle’s movement that needed some immediate correction. It was just a simple error in stance, but it could be enough to give a highly experienced opponent, such as Karai or one of the Legion bots, the upper hand in a fight. Leonardo had no doubt that, were Leo here, he would have noticed the flaw and corrected it right away. However, the young leader wasn’t present. Leonardo was torn. Should he intervene, or should he continue to mind his own business? After all, these weren’t _his_ brothers. Besides, he had sworn off protecting his siblings. But his conscience wouldn’t let him get away with that. Despite everything, technically these two _were_ his brothers, sort of, if you were to get technical about it. Besides, a little helpful criticism didn’t mean he was making any emotional ties. It was simply the responsible act of an old warrior to a pair of younger warriors.

Cautiously approaching the pair, Leonardo hesitantly cleared his throat. The two younger turtles immediately came to a halt.

“Did you need something,” Raph asked courteously when Leonardo didn’t immediately say anything.

“I, um, I,” Leonardo stuttered, suddenly unsure of himself.

“Let me guess,” Raphael filled in. “Ya noticed somethin’ we were doing wrong, and ya came over to correct it.” Despite the words, his tone was playful rather than hostile, and it worked to put the older turtle at ease.

“Yes, actually,” he replied.

Raphael groaned in a manner too dramatic to be offensive. “How is it that, despite being all but blind, he can still see well enough to correct our mistakes,” he asked his twin.

“Because he’s Leonardo,” Raph told him, even as he repositioned his feet according to the older turtle’s directions. “I’m convinced he could be stone blind and still know when we weren’t doing something right.”

“I’m blind, not deaf,” Leonardo reminded the pair with some snap in his tone.

“Relax, bro, we’re just teasing,” Raphael told him.

Leonardo went immediately still. “I’m no brother of yours,” he growled softly.

“How do you figure that,” Raphael challenged. “Because you’re older? From a different dimension? Sorry, not going to fly, dude. After all, that applies to over half of our family.”

“Don’t push it kid,” Leonardo warned, his eyes narrowing as he scowled at the younger turtles.

“Nice try, but it’s not going to work,” Raph said. “I’ve seen scarier looks on my twin’s face first thing in the morning. So, you can growl all you want, but you’re not going to scare us away. And we’re not your Raphael to rise to your bait, so we’re not going to fight you either. You might as well come off your high horse and stop acting like an overbearing idiot. It’s not doing your or your family any good.”

“What the shell do you know about anything,” Leonardo hissed. “You two come from your perfect little life with your happy little family. You wouldn’t understand what my family has been through, so don’t even go there.” He turned angrily, and started to stalk out of the room, only to find his way barred by the younger Raphael. “Move half-pint!”

But Raphael didn’t budge. Instead, he got right up in Leonardo’s face. “You want to hear what I know about loss,” he said softly. “I’ll tell you what my brothers and I know about loss. We know what it’s like to treat a brother so shittily that he would rather kill himself that stay one more day in your home. I know what’s like to live from day to day grieving for that brother with every breath you take. I know what’s it’s like to find that missing brother, only to realize he is so terrified of you, he can’t stand to even be in the same room as you. I know what it’s like to sit helplessly by as that brother lays dying, and to feel powerless because he will not respond to your pleas to come back. I know what it’s like to have a beloved brother kidnapped, only to find him living in captivity like some sort of mindless animal and have to rebuild his confidence, self-esteem, and self-image from the bottom up. I know what it’s like to watch a brother tortured—“ here his voice broke slightly, but he bravely continued on, “tortured in his brothers’ place, only to die in my arms. In fact, I know what’s like to have that same brother die twice, and not be able to do a thing about it. More, I know what it’s like to almost kill that brother myself, with my own weapon. So no, I don’t know what your life has been like, but don’t you dare suggest that your family has been through anything any worse than mine.”

For long moment, not a word was spoken, and Leonardo’s aggressive body language didn’t change in the least. Dismayed, Raph finally said, “Move, bro. It’s no use; he’s not going to listen.”

Raphael gave the oldest turtle a knowing, pitying look. “It’s no wonder your family has fallen apart,” he said, though there was no anger or accusation in his voice. “Pride can be a marvelous tool, but take it from me; it can also be a deadly weapon. Sometimes, even when we don’t mean to, we can harm those we care for the most with its injudicious application, so be careful where your pride takes you. You can only go so far before your road becomes a one-way street, and it’s too late to turn around. Don’t lose your family because you’re too big an idiot to recognize the road signs along the way.”

And with that, the two younger turtles, who were far wiser than their years, turned and left Leonardo to think over everything they’d told him, and to reconsider everything he’d come to believe over the past three decades.


	8. Welcome to Our Family Time

As Raphael moved toward the two younger turtles, he felt a wave of regret flow through him. There had once been a time when he and his older brothers had been best friends. They had been each other’s ally against their prank-loving youngest sibling and their, at times, too strict father. But then Donatello had vanished, taking Raphael’s best friend with him. While Leonardo hadn’t physically left, following Donatello’s disappearance the lighthearted and easy going Leonardo ceased to exist. In his place was a driven, cold-eyed stranger who merely wore his face.

At first Raphael had tried everything he could to get his best friend back, but Leonardo might as well have been dead for all the good it did. Instead, the brothers began to argue more and more, until anger hid any affection that might have once existed between them. And then their home had been invaded and destroyed. On a rational level Raphael knew that Leonardo’s decision to obey their father’s orders and leave him behind had been the right one. After all, neither he nor Leonardo had been able to see well enough to affect a rescue, and Michelangelo had been in dire need of medical assistance. But knowing that didn’t alleviate the guilt, or the anger, any.

The first time Raphael had confronted his older brother over the issue was two days after the attack, when he was finally recovered enough to think clearly; or at least just clearly enough to get angry. His anger had been fueled by a number of things. First, he had been feeling guilty over their father’s death and his brothers’ injuries. To his mind, he should have done something, anything, to protect his family; but he hadn’t. Secondly, he’d been in considerable pain from his lost eye, which had certainly added to his irrationality. Third, he had been grieving everything his family had lost; both their home and their remaining innocence. And lastly, he’d been afraid. With their father gone, and Leonardo and Michelangelo so obviously falling apart, Raphael began to feat that his family had been destroyed once and for all; and in a sense, it had. However, in classic Raphael fashion, all of those conflicting emotions had coalesced into one irrevocable emotion: irrational fury.

Without thought or remorse, Raphael had ferociously accused his older brother of abandoning their father and all but killing him personally. Fury at his own helplessness and the seeming hopelessness of situation made him turn his back on his younger brother. His fury had separated Raphael from everything and everyone he had ever cared for. The sad truth was that Raphael had been so furious for so long, he’d forgotten how to be anything else. Or so he thought; but as he approached the two laughing turtles, Raphael felt the stirrings of something so far removed from anger that it took him a moment to recognize the feeling. For the first time since this whole nightmare had started Raphael was feeling hopeful.

Suddenly it dawned on Raphael that the two younger turtles were standing still (an achievement for any version of Michelangelo), and watching him with curious eyes.

“What are you two looking at,” Raphael asked gruffly, though not with ill-will.

“Just waiting for you to get done with the internal monologue, dude,” the leather-masked turtle said. Then he grinned and stuck out his hand. “Call me Mikey,” he said as Raphael bemusedly shook the proffered hand.

His twin gave an identical grin and likewise stuck out his hand. “And I’m Michelangelo. So, what can we do for you, bro?”

For a brief moment the appellation threw Raphael. But after he thought about it for a second, he decided that, after all this time, he might actually enjoy being someone’s “bro” once again. “Actually, I was watching you two a few minutes ago, and, well, I saw a couple of things you, well, that could use some work,” Raphael admitted, feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious. When the Brats just looked at him silently the older turtle felt a small flash of discomfort. Had he overstepped his bounds? He was out of practice interacting with others, especially his younger brothers. The abnormal self-doubt was on the verge of setting off his temper (a much more familiar emotion), when Mikey just grinned at him.

“Relax, dude,” the youngest turtle said, unconsciously laying a hand on Raphael’s shoulder. “No need to flip. We take constructive criticism well.”

“Yeah,” Michelangelo chimed in. “Besides, you’re being a lot nicer about it than our Raphael usually is. He typically just yells something like, ‘Hey, bozos, you’re doing it wrong. Try again.’”

Raphael grinned at that; it sounded quite familiar. But the twins’ response made him curious about something. “What about the other Raphael? How does he respond?”

“Raph?” Mikey laughed as he said the name. “Dude, Raph is a lot more like Leo than Raphael. He still has a temper, but it takes more to set it off. And while he might not be as patient as Leader Mine, he’s still more likely to step away to cool off than blow up in your face.”

Raphael laughed at that, but something the younger turtle said began to puzzle him. “Wait,” he said, “Who is Leader Mine?”

“Leo, dude,” Michelangelo responded. “Raph came up with the nickname. After he figured out that calling Leo ‘Fearless Leader’ truly bugged him, he decided ‘Leader Mine’ was a ‘more acceptable appellation” as the Geeks would put it. Since then, we’ve all kind of just adopted it.”

Any further conversation was cut off just then as the older Leonardo could be heard angrily exploding across the room. Mikey and Michelangelo just shook their heads at the oldest turtle’s outburst, while next to them Raphael clenched his fists in anger. “Stubborn bastard,” he muttered just loud enough for the Brats to hear him. “Thinks he’s too good to accept help from anyone.”

“I don’t think that’s it at all,” Mikey said as he watched the oldest turtle storm off. “Surely you know how driven Leonardo gets when it comes to looking after his family.”

“Yeah, so,” Raphael said. “It’s not like he’s done the best job of that in recent years.”

“And that doesn’t send up warning bells to you,” Michelangelo asked. He turned unexpectedly serious eyes on the one-eyed turtle. “Especially since you probably also know he tends to take on enough guilt to swamp all of Alaska whenever things go wrong. I’m betting that ever since, well, probably beginning with your Donatello’s disappearance, he’s been blaming himself. If he’s anything like our Leo, he probably thinks he is some sort of failure for not being able to prevent your brother from vanishing. And then there was that fight that destroyed your home, killed your sensei, cost your Michelangelo his arm and you your eye. Put all that together and there’s a lot your Leonardo most likely feels responsible for. He’s probably been beating himself up all these years because of it. Shell, knowing Leonardo’s guilt complex, he’s probably got it figured out how it’s his fault that the Shredder came into power in the first place.”

The unexpected insight, coming from such an unusual source, startled Raphael, and he felt his knees give way from shock. He _knew_ how Leonardo responded to things, how he always took too much on himself, and yet he’d let his big brother get away with it for nearly thirty years. Shell, he’d done his best to add to his brother’s load of guilt, piling on more pain than Leonardo had already assumed. How much more of a bastard could he have been to his brother? With a sound that was half groan, half whimper, Raphael covered his face with his hands. Suddenly he felt two sets of arms wrap around him. He couldn’t recall the last time either of his remaining brothers had touched him, much less hugged him, and he sat just enjoying the sensation for a long moment. Then the enormity of the disservice he’d done to his brothers, for in ignoring Michelangelo he had wronged his younger brother just as much as he had Leonardo through all this mess, hit him, and a shiver passed through his body.

Feeling the older turtle begin to shake, Mikey rubbed his shell calmingly. “Shh,” he soothed. “Take a deep breath. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“How can you say that,” Raphael muttered through his hands. “I have wronged both of my brothers horribly.”

“But now that you’ve recognized that, you can fix it,” Michelangelo said matter-of-factly. “It’s what family does.”

Raphael lifted his head to look at the Brats with one sorrow-filled eye. “I think it’s too late to fix this,” he said.

The Brats looked at each; then, with a nod, they climbed to their feet, and pulled Raphael to his feet as well. Keeping hold of his hands, they began to lead him across the room. “Where are we going,” the one-eyed turtle spluttered.

“To introduce you to our brothers,” Mikey said. “Raph and Raphael can tell you all about making nasty mistakes with one’s brother, and about how forgiving those same brothers can be.”

By this time, Raph and Raphael were aware of their younger brothers and their “guest.” Leaving Mikey to corral their reluctant visitor, Michelangelo stepped up to his older brothers and quietly explained the situation. It was clear from Raph and Raphael’s faces that they completely understood and agreed with what their younger brothers were asking them to do. As Michelangelo came back to where the oldest Raphael was standing with Mikey, the leather-masked, sai-wielding turtle came with him. Raphael was startled when the younger version of himself smiled in a friendly manner at him.

“Michelangelo explained what’s going on,” Raph said gently. “My twin and I agree that it would probably do you some good to hear our stories.” He held out a hand to the older turtle. Raphael hesitated to take the proffered limb. He wasn’t just being asked to listen. If he took the younger turtle’s hand, he would have to risk trusting someone else again. He would have to face losing the protective barrier of anger that had sustained him all these years. But at the same time, there was also the chance he could get his family back, that he could heal his relationships with Michelangelo and Leonardo. The question was, was he willing to trust one more time? Raphael placed his hand in Raph’s.

The younger turtle gave his hand a supportive squeeze. It left the oldest Raphael feeling more than a little discomfited. It was odd seeing a version of “himself” being so…open and friendly. That’s when he remembered Mikey and Michelangelo describing Raph as being the most like their Leo. He figured this must be rather what they meant. A look at the other Raphael, the one wearing the slightly belligerent frown, made the older turtle smile a little; that was a look he was more accustomed to seeing on his reflection quite regularly. He was startled, therefore, when the other Raphael met his gaze and gave him an understanding, downright friendly, smile.

Under Raph’s guidance, the older Raphael joined his younger counterparts in sitting on the floor. Feeling slightly panicky, the oldest Raphael turned to look for support from the pair of Michelangelo twins, but they had once more returned to practicing. He couldn’t help noticing that this time they were performing their previously incorrect maneuver perfectly. That’s when it hit him that he had been set up. For some reason, that actually put the one-eyed turtle at ease, and he was able to relax just slightly.

Once all three turtles were settled, Raph said, “I think this would be easiest if we tell you our stories first. Then, when we’re done, if you have any questions, you can ask us.”

The one-eyed Raphael gestured with his hand for his younger selves to proceed. Taking a deep breath, Raph began. As the older turtle listened intently, Raph described the fights he’d had with his older brother, culminating in him saying those three horrific words, followed by the younger Leonardo’s disappearance. At that point, the younger Raphael took up the narrative. He unabashedly described the horrible way he had treated his Leo, up until the young leader was driven to try and kill himself. From there, the two brothers took turns describing the events that followed, from Raph’s adamant defense of his adopted big brother, to Raphael’s inability to forgive himself for what he had done to Leo, and eventually Leo’s forgiveness of it all. The narrative moved from there to describe the brothers’ more recent problems with their big brother, and the tragedies that almost came about because of their stubborn attitudes.

“But, the thing is, Leo forgave us; he always forgives us,” Raph told his older self. “As I’ve told my other brothers, Leo has too much love to share. If he’s not showing it, it’s typically because he’s punishing himself, not you.”

“But it’s been nearly thirty years,” the one-eyed turtle protested. “During that time I’ve said some truly horrible things, made some nasty accusations. And that doesn’t count the number of times I’ve seriously tried to kill him. Why on earth would he even want to forgive me?”

“He’s your brother,” a new voice said. All three younger turtles turned to see Leo standing behind Raph. “Thirty minutes or thirty years, it won’t matter. If he’s at all like me, it would be all but impossible for him to stop caring. Besides, he knows your actions were because you were hurting, too. He’s not going to hold them against you.”

The older turtle looked at the young leader carefully. Leo met his scrutinizing eye without flinching; Raphael was the first to look away. There was something ancient in those young eyes, something that bespoke of experience beyond his young age. Raphael had a feeling he’d only gotten part of the story from his younger counterparts, leading him to suspect that this young family had been through hell and back. And yet, they were still together. More than that, they openly and obviously cared for and looked after one another. In their example he saw family; he saw the way he and his brothers used to be. The way he hoped that they could be again.

For the first time in pretty much forever, Raphael did something completely out of his typical character. With an eye full of pleading hopefulness, he whispered, “Help me, please. I want my brothers back.”

Leonardo reacted on instinct to that pleading tone, and wrapped his arms around the older turtle. So what if this Raphael was over twenty years his senior? In that short instant he had simply been yet another younger brother in need of his big brother’s help, and Leo knew he couldn’t ignore that. Besides, he and his brothers would whatever they could to provide the help this older Raphael, and his family, desperately needed. After all, what was family for, anyway?


	9. To Take Away this Pain

The embrace between the senior Raphael and Leo didn’t last very long, and as soon as he broke away, Raphael made his way back to where the Brats were practicing. That was where he spent the remainder of the day. As much as he appreciated what they had done, sharing their stories like that, his younger selves disturbed him just slightly. As for Leo, well, the young leader made him unaccountably uneasy. The Brats, however, put him at ease with their joking and laughter. With them he didn’t feel like he was being judged; they gave him as much hell as though he truly was their brother. Even more importantly, Mikey and Michelangelo fulfilled a need to be touched that Raphael was unaware that he had. Following that embrace from Leo, Raphael had been forced to face just how much he missed physical contact. Unfortunately, touch wasn’t something you could just walk up to someone and ask for. But with the Brats, it seemed touch was as natural as breathing. Whether it was wrestling, or just a simple hand on the shoulder while talking, the Brats showered their older “brother” with as much physical contact and affection as he could possibly want.

Raphael was still with the Brats when it came time for their afternoon briefing with Donny and Donatello, so the older turtle naturally just tagged along. It wasn’t until he was seated between the two youngest turtles that he began to feel a bit uncertain. Would the others want him here? His unvoiced concerns were put to rest when Raphael, of all people, stopped next to his chair and put a warm hand on his shoulder. “Glad you could make it,” the red-masked turtle told him, his tone genuinely welcoming.

“Figured you youngsters could do with a voice of experience,” the one-eyed turtle responded, though his voice held the faintest hint of teasing. His younger counterpart just grinned at him.

“Well, when it gets here, let us know,” Raphael teased the older turtle. The two turtles grinned at each other, completely in accord with one another in that quick instant, and then Raphael moved to sit next to his twin toward the head of the table.

After a few minutes, when no one other than April showed up to the join the family, Leo gave the nod to the Geeks to start the presentation. With Donny manning the projector and computer, Donatello moved to the head of the table.

“As most of you know,” he said without preamble, “Donny and I spent this morning going over the exo-suit left behind by Dr. Stockman. Our goal this morning was to determine if, a) it was still a viable option, and b) if we could get it up and running in time. I am pleased to report that we have a go on both counts. From what my twin and I could determine, the specs on the exo-suit indicate that it will hold up quite well against Shredder’s forces, at least long enough to even the odds in our favor. Secondly, Dr. Stockman’s notes are quite extensive, and between Donny and me, we should have the whole thing up and running inside of two days.” Donatello nodded at his twin, who hit a few keys on the keyboard in front of him. An image of the exo-suit in its final form appeared on the screen next to Donatello. “This is what the exo-suit will look like when it’s completed,” he explained. “With a few modifications, we will make this a two-turtle design, rather than the single-person Stockman originally envisioned.” From there he went on to explain just what the battle armor would be capable of once it was done.

Ten minutes later Donatello was just about to turn the floor back over to Leo, when a cold voice from the shadows at the back of the room interrupted him.

“The lot of you are fools,” the older Michelangelo said as he stepped forward. Disdain practically dripped from his words. “You two Geeks think you know everything; but you don’t. You even think about doing this, and you’re going to get your brothers killed. So why don’t you just go back to where you came from, and leave us to muddle through on our own. We don’t need fools or idiots like you and your brothers to destroy us, we were doing that just fine on our own!”

“Michelangelo,” the one-eyed Raphael exclaimed, but his brother only scowled at him.

“I don’t want to hear it, traitor,” Michelangelo snapped at him. “In fact, why don’t you just go back with them? It’s not like you’ve been any use around here for a long time. You showed me a long time ago that you don’t need me, and I learned the lesson well. So you can just kiss my shell.” And with that, the one-armed turtle turned and stalked out of the room.

There was silence for a long moment as no one quite knew what to say. It was finally broken by Leo, who quietly told his brothers, “Start putting together a preliminary plan of attack. I have a few words to say to our ‘older brother,’ and then I’ll be back.” And with that, he silently departed the room.

Once he was gone, the older Raphael asked, “Isn’t anyone going to go after him? Nowadays Mike’s temper is uncertain in the best of times, and right now he’s really worked up. There’s a very good possibility he’ll forget who he’s dealing with and try to hurt your brother.”

Raphael snorted. “I wouldn’t worry about; Leader Mine’s really hard to hurt. Besides, it wouldn’t be worth our shells to go after Leo right now,” he said. “What you just saw was protective big brother with a lot of pissed off leader mixed in. Usually you only have to deal with one or the other, but when they come together, well, let’s just say you **don’t** want to be on the receiving end of it.”

“So, what do we do,” the older Raphael asked.

“Just what he told us,” Mikey supplied. “Start putting together a plan for our attack. Leo will be back shortly, and it’s really not a good idea to push him after incidents like this.”

“All right, then,” the one-eyed turtle said. “Then let’s get to planning.”

TMNTTMNT

It didn’t take Leo long to catch up to Michelangelo outside of the conference room. Catching the older turtle by the shoulder, Leo whirled him around so that they were face-to-face.

“Get your f—“ Michelangelo started to snarl. Leo popped him in the mouth before he could finish the nasty statement. Hand going to his stinging mouth, Michelangelo glared at Leo with something between shock and anger.

“How dare you,” he growled once his mouth stopped hurting enough he could speak again.

“First of all, I am quite certain your sensei would have done the same thing if he’d been around to hear you using that kind of language,” Leo said, his arms crossing imperiously across his plastron. “And secondly, when you start acting like the adult you supposedly are, you’ll get treated like one. However, when you act like a spoiled hatchling, especially toward my brothers, I will respond appropriately.”

“Are you done yet,” Michelangelo asked snidely, faking a yawn.

“Not yet,” Leo replied.

“Well, tough, ‘cause I’m not sticking around for anymore of this bull,” Mike said. He tried to push past Leo, only to find his way blocked once more by a strong hand on his plastron. “Move,” he ordered quietly, his eyes narrowing with anger.

“No,” Leo said, his tone not angry, but inflexible nonetheless. “You’re not going anywhere until we’ve had a talk.”

Michelangelo tried to use his slightly superior size and strength to bully past the younger turtle, but it was like Leo was made of solid stone. At last giving in, he stopped struggling. “Fine,” he grunted, stepping back, a petulant look on his face. “Say whatever it is you have to say, then get out of my way.”

“First,” Leo said, his arms falling to his sides, “I think you owe Donatello and Donny an apology. They have done nothing but try to help you since they got here, and they didn’t deserve those nasty things you just said to them.”

Leo’s words fed the small sense of guilt Michelangelo had been feeling since he spat those words at the younger turtles. He had been completely out of line, and he knew it. “Fine,” Michelangelo muttered. “I’ll apologize.”

“Good, then that leaves the second thing we need to discuss,” Leo said. “I want to know how long you’re going to act like a hurt child before you do something about getting your family back.”

Immediately Michelangelo’s temper was ignited once more. Getting in the younger turtles face and jabbing an accusing finger in his chest, he seethed, “You are out of line, buster. That’s none of your business, and you will stay the shell out of it.”

But Leo, long accustomed to Raphael’s explosions of temper, wasn’t even fazed. Besides, it seemed that in this close proximity his empathic bond extended to this version of his youngest brothers as well, likely because Michelangelo was broadcasting his emotions to kingdom come, and Leo could feel the hurt festering beneath the angry façade. Lowering his voice he said, “You have every right to be angry and hurt; no one is saying otherwise. But do you really want to go the rest of you life estranged from your brothers? Surely you know by now it’s not a happy existence.”

“What would you know about it,” Michelangelo snapped.

“Did the Geniuses tell you about how our family came to be,” Leo asked.

Michelangelo shrugged. “Something about a dimensional portal and some Bridge player or something. I really wasn’t paying much attention beyond the fact that neither of them was my Donatello.”

Leo gave a small smile; despite the age difference, that was such a Mikey-like response. Reaching out, he took the older turtle’s hand and raised it to his throat. Against the tender skin of Leo’s throat Michelangelo could feel an unexpected ridge of scar tissue under his calloused fingers. “I got that scar the night I tried to kill myself,” Leo told him.

Shocked, Michelangelo yanked his hand away. Although he vaguely remembered Donny or Donatello saying something along these same lines, it was quite different to have the proof right under your fingertips. “Why,” Mike asked hoarsely.

“Because my brothers had convinced me that they hated me, and that I wasn’t worth anything anymore,” Leo told him. “For nearly a year, I was told on practically a daily basis that everything I did wasn’t good enough, that I was a failure as a brother. I became so cut off from my brothers that, finally, I saw suicide as the only way out. It took a lot of time and a lot patience for my new brothers to convince me that my old family had it all wrong. After that, even with my new found self-confidence, it still took a lot of help and encouragement from my new family to be able to re-connect with my original brothers.”

“It’s not the same,” Michelangelo groused as he sat sulkily on the floor.

“Not exactly,” Leo said. “But it’s enough I can empathize with what you’re going through. Just like you, my brothers had turned their backs on me just when I needed them most, so I know where you’re coming from.”

Michelangelo gave Leo a cross, though less, angry, look. “Why are you doing this,” he asked petulantly. “You’re not my big brother. You don’t have any stake in whether I reconnect with my family or not.”

“I’m not trying to be your big brother,” Leo said, moving to sit across from the older turtle. “But I am trying to be your friend; I care what happens to you and your brothers. And if you ask my two best friends you’ll find that sometimes being a friend involved a little judicious butt kicking. But it also means that when the butt kicking is over, I have a ready ear should you need someone to listen.”

The older turtle didn’t say anything for so long that Leo began to suspect that, like his Raphael and Michelangelo often did during his lectures, the other turtle had simply tuned him out. He was startled therefore when Michelangelo began to speak. For reasons he couldn’t explain, Michelangelo felt compelled to talk to Leo. There was something about the younger turtle that made Michelangelo unable to **not** trust Leo. It was almost as if his presence was exactly what he had been waiting for all these years to free his cankering emotions. Giving in to his instincts, he quietly said, “I used to dream he’d come back; Donatello that is. There were mornings I would wake up and go running into his room or lab, absolutely convinced that he’d be there when I came through the door, and every time it was like someone was ripping my heart out because he wasn’t. Eventually, though, the dreams, and the hope, went away. At first, I could tell that Don’s disappearance bothered my brothers as much as it did me. But then it was like they didn’t care anymore; about anything. Leo became cold and distant; there were times he actually scared me because he was acting so out of character, especially when he and Raphael would start arguing.”

Leo moved so that he was sitting next to the older turtle, his shoulder just lightly touching Michelangelo’s. He couldn’t help making the comparison between this conversation and the one between him and Raph over two years ago. Just like Raph had for him at that time, Leo was determined to be there for Michelangelo as he finally cleared out these painful memories and emotions. “Go on,” he encouraged. “Not to sound like some sort of self-help book, but how did all of this make you feel?”

“Isolated,” the one-armed turtle said immediately. “With Leo locked away inside himself, and Raphael mad at the world, I had no one to lean on. It also made me furious. They were my big brothers and I needed them, and they weren’t there for me. Master Splinter did the best he could, but they wouldn’t listen. And then…” his voice trailed off.

Placing a gentle hand on his companion’s shoulder, Leo squeezed encouragingly. “You can do it,” he said softly. “Get it out. You’ve been hoarding this pain for much too long.”

Michelangelo took a deep breath. “Then the Foot attacked the Lair,” he continued. “It was horrible. They were everywhere, and no matter how many we took down, there were five more to take their place. I…I was watching when Leonardo got sprayed with that stuff that took his sight. He started screaming, and I was so desperate to get to him, that I wasn’t paying attention. The next thing I knew I was…well, I didn’t have an arm anymore. All I could do was crawl into a corner and try to keep from bleeding to death. I never even saw how Raphael lost his eye. The last thing I was aware of was Raphael holding me up and helping me out of the Lair. When I woke up again four days later, Raphael and Leonardo were gone. They couldn’t even bother to wait around to see if I was okay, or to tell me in person that Master Splinter was dead.” His tone was increasingly hostile as he said, “They argued, and then disappeared, leaving April to break the news to me. After that, it was over a year before I saw either of them again. And even now, when I do see them, I might as well be a stranger for all they care.”

Leo’s tone, when he spoke a few moments later, was soft, but neither pitying nor sympathetic; he knew Michelangelo wouldn’t appreciate either sentiment. “Michelangelo, I am so sorry you had to go through that. I’m sorry that your brothers couldn’t be the turtles you expected or needed them to be.”

“Surely now you can understand that I can’t forgive them. It’s been too long, and there’s too much history between us. Not that they seem to care.”

“Possibly,” Leo said. “But did you ever consider that maybe your brothers haven’t come to you because _they_ feel they’ve hurt _you_ too much, and that you’ll never be able to forgive them? I’m betting your Leonardo, if he’s the slightest bit like me, is carrying a world’s worth of guilt over every seeming way he’s failed his family. I highly doubt he’s staying away to hurt you; he’s probably doing it to punish himself. As for Raphael, well, it takes a lot of anguish before he’ll openly admit his feelings. And like Leonardo, I’m willing to bet it was never you he was angry at; you were just an unfortunate bystander caught in the backlash of his self-anger and guilt. But I think you’ll find he’s ready to make amends. He’s just afraid you’ll reject him after all these years.”

Michelangelo wiped angrily at the tears he’d only just become aware were running down his face. “Maybe he’s right,” he said heatedly. “Maybe it _is_ too late. I’ve done well enough without him all these years; perhaps I don’t need him or Leonardo anymore.”

“Maybe so,” Leo said calmly. “But think about this: we’re getting ready to face the Shredder one last time. There’s a chance that not all of us will make it through the experience. Do you really want to go into that without knowing for sure that you had done everything possible to fix things with your brothers?”

“It’s a hard thing you’re asking of me,” Michelangelo said after a moment’s consideration.

“No it’s not,” Leo said. “You already love your brothers; you just have to show them. Letting go of your pride, that can be uncomfortable, but once you do it you realize it wasn’t all that hard after all.”

Michelangelo considered everything Leo had said. Deep in his heart he knew the younger turtle was correct. The opportunity to get his family back was sitting right in front of him if he had the guts to grab for it. But he knew he couldn’t do it alone. Michelangelo lifted pleading eyes to meet Leo’s. “Will you help me?”

Leo wrapped his arms around the hurting turtle, and Michelangelo leaned hungrily into the embrace. Directing as many soothing emotions as he could the older turtle, Leo said, “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”


	10. Mixed Emotions

An hour later Leo returned to find the remainder of his family chatting amicably around the conference table. At his entrance, Raphael gave him a questioning look, but didn’t say anything about the older Michelangelo’s absence. Actually, the calm look Leo gave him halted the questions before they could be voiced. Instead he said, “We’ve got some basic battle plans put together if you’re ready to hear them.”  
Leo gave him a small smile. “Tomorrow,” he said. All conversation in the room halted at that moment, for just then the older Michelangelo came hesitantly into the room and moved to stand at the younger turtle’s shoulder. Leo gave him an encouraging smile before turning back to the already seated turtles. April had departed a while before to take care of other Resistance business. “Right now,” Leo continued, “we have one small order of business to take care, and then it will be time for practice.” Leo placed a gentle hand on Michelangelo’s shoulder. “I think Mike has something he wants to say.”  
Michelangelo cleared his throat, nervously shifting his weight slightly from foot to foot. Unable to meet the others’ eyes, he dropped his gaze to the floor. Only Leo’s warm hand on his shoulder kept him from running from the room in absolute terror. Shell, this was even harder than he thought it would be. Finally he pulled his courage together enough to raise his head and meet Donny and Donatello’s sympathetic gazes. “I…I just wanted to say I’m sorry,” he said. Although he started out slowly, the words began to build and come out with ever increasing speed. “I didn’t mean any of it. I shouldn’t have said it, and I hope you can forgive me. But if you can’t, I understand, and—“  
Michelangelo was suddenly cut off as Leo stepped back, and the Geniuses were finally able to do what they had been longing to do since they first saw this wounded version of their younger brothers. They threw their arms around him and hung on like they were never going to let go. In an instant the older turtle returned the embrace, burying his face in their shoulders. A part of him was embarrassed that, once again, he had tears running down his face, especially in front of his Raphael, but a deeper part of him didn’t care. All these tears were releasing the pain that had been buried in his soul for far too long. Besides, being able to feel a part of a family once more, even if it wasn’t technically his own, was worth more than a few measly tears.  
“You’re forgiven, Michelangelo,” Donatello whispered softly, his hand rubbing gently against the older turtle’s battered shell.  
“We knew you didn’t mean it,” Donny added, tightening his grip.  
Michelangelo sniffed and then made himself step away from the younger turtles. Wiping the tears from his face, his gave the Geniuses his very first smile in even he couldn’t remember how long. “So, bros, can I have another chance,” he asked softly, his eyes never leaving theirs. “I want to help. And this time I really do mean help.”  
“We’d be happy to have you,” Donny told him.  
Michelangelo lifted his eyes to look at the Menaces. “Do either of you have a problem with my joining you?”  
Raphael grinned at him. “Welcome aboard, bro.”  
To everyone’s surprise, it was Raph who didn’t respond with an immediate affirmative. “Are you planning on throwing anymore tantrums,” he asked the older turtle. Rather than getting angry, Michelangelo just smiled again.  
“Not unless I have to,” he said. Then he got a very familiar sly look on his face. “After all, there are three of you Raphaels around now. It may take all three of us Michelangelo’s to keep you on your toes.”  
Raph and Raphael groaned good naturedly as the Brats hooted in delight over their older self’s response.  
“All right, all right,” Leo said, smiling. “Now that we’ve gotten that settled, my brothers need to head on down to the dojo. It’s time for evening practice. Michelangelo, Raphael,” he said to the older turtles, “feel free to join us. We’d be happy to have you.” And with that, Leo began ushering his younger siblings out the door.   
The elder Raphael got up to follow them, only to be stopped when Michelangelo said, “Raphie, would you mind waiting a minute?” Raphael wasn’t sure if it was the surprise of hearing his childhood nickname, or the soft, hesitant tone of his brother’s voice, but either way he found himself frozen in his tracks. He turned back to face his younger brother. The uncertain body language was back, he noted to himself, and Michelangelo was having difficulty meeting his gaze.  
“What can I do for you,” he asked his brother, his tone neutral.  
“I, well, I wantedtoappologizetoyoutoo,” Michelangelo blurted out in a rush. His cheeks took on a definite reddish tinge. It took a moment to decipher exactly what Michelangelo had said. Once it clicked, however, Raphael knew he had to respond appropriately, or risk hurting his brother terribly. So, taking a page from the younger turtles’ book, Raphael moved over to his younger brother and enveloped him in his first hug in over three decades. At first, Michelangelo was as stiff as a frozen tree. The response saddened the one-eyed turtle. Once upon a time, Michelangelo would have returned the embrace as warmly and carelessly as a child. Now in his place was a cold stranger that Raphael was partially responsible for creating.  
“Ah, Mike, it’s okay. And I’m sorry too,” Raphael whispered hoarsely. Apparently that was exactly what the younger turtle needed, for suddenly he was returning the hug as just as fiercely as Raphael was offering it. For a long moment, the brothers just stood there, soaking up each other’s presence. When at last they let each other loose, Raphael exchanged the hug for an arm draped over his brother’s shoulders. Leading him back to the table, he encouraged Michelangelo to take a seat, whereupon he took a chair right next to him. “I owe you an explanation,” he told his younger brother.   
“Raph—“  
“No, let me speak,” Raphael said, cutting off the protest. “I hurt you badly. I just want you to know, it never had anything to do with you. I know it doesn’t help after all these years, but it was never my intention to hurt you by staying away. Partly, I’ll admit, it was selfishness. All I could see was my own pain, and it blinded me to pretty much everything else. But partly I was, in my own way, trying to protect you. It may not have seemed like it, but I knew how much my fights with Leonardo bothered you. I also knew that, after the Lair was destroyed, my control over my temper was too slippery to be trusted around anyone else. Even if I didn’t mean to, there was an excellent chance that I would have taken it out on you, and I didn’t want to risk it. So I left. And over the years, my pride made it easier and easier to convince myself that you were doing just fine without me, that you didn’t need me anymore, so I continued to stay away.”  
“But I did need you,” Michelangelo exclaimed. “After we lost Donatello, you and Leonardo were all I had to depend on, especially once sensei died. But you both left. At first, you just withdrew emotionally. Sure you were still there physically, but it was like living with a couple of robots. And then, after the Lair was destroyed, you were gone physically, too. Without a word, without a goodbye, you both just disappeared. I was hurting, and scared, and utterly and completely alone. So I pushed myself to become a better warrior, hoping that maybe I’d be good enough, and you’d be proud enough of me to come back. But you never did. Eventually, I stopped caring what either of you thought. I didn’t need you. I didn’t need anyone; at least that’s what I told myself. But Raphie, I can’t do it anymore. Our younger selves have shown me what family is supposed to be like. I want my family back. I want my big brothers back, if I can have them.”  
Unabashedly taking his brother’s hand in his, Raphael said fervently, “I’m here little brother. Like you, I’ve decided that I don’t like how my life is going, and I want my family back, too. So, if you’re willing to forgive a grouchy, ill-tempered, one-eyed old turtle for a brother, I would desperately love to be a part of your family again.”  
This time it was Michelangelo’s turn to initiate the hug. All but flinging himself out of his chair, he wrapped his arms around his older brother’s neck. In that moment, the years melted away. All the years of anger and hurt disappeared, and they were simply brothers, rather than familiar strangers, once more.  
TMNTTMNT  
Half an hour into practice, Leo looked up to see the two older turtles enter the room, Raphael’s arm draped familiarly over his brother’s shoulders. Grinning, he nudged Raph to take a look. The younger leather-masked turtle turned and grinned at the sight. The touching scene was quickly broken up, however, as the Brats went bounding up to them and dragged Raphael away for some more one-on-one practice. That left Michelangelo standing alone. Leo was about to make his way to the older turtle, but the Geniuses got there first. After a few softly spoken words the one-armed turtle allowed himself to be led further in the room by the two younger turtles.  
Watching the interactions between his brothers and the older turtles made Leo smile. He was glad that after everything his own family had been through that now they could reach out to this third family and teach them how siblings were supposed to act. Leo was suddenly knocked out of his rambling thoughts by Raph, who had snuck up behind him and was tickling his sides unmercifully. Howling with laughter, Leo squirmed away from his younger brother, only to be tackled by Raphael. With his twin holding Leo down, Raph was then free to attack his brother’s feet.  
“Stop, please,” Leo panted, laughter-induced tears running down his face as he tried to throw his brother off his back.  
“Uh-uh,” Raphael said, holding his big brother’s hand down with one of his own while using his free hand to tickle his brother’s sensitive sides. “You were thinking too deeply. Menace junior and I decided you needed to lighten up a little.”  
“I’ll show you lightening up,” Leo gasped. With a tremendous heave, he bucked his brother off his back. Raphael rolled away from his brother, coming to his feet a short distance away. There was a dangerous glint in Leo’s eyes as he turned to face both of his younger brothers. The sai-wielding twins looked at each other, then back at Leo. In unison, they stuck their tongues out at him.  
“Nyah, nyah, catch us if you can,” Raph taunted. He and Raphael were so focused on Leo that they weren’t aware of the Brats sneaking up behind them. Suddenly, it was the Menaces who found themselves hitting the ground as their youngest brothers began to return the favor and tickle them. That didn’t mean Leo was off the hook, however, as he found himself trapped between Donny and Donatello who were doing an amazingly good job of tickling him, while staying just out of reach at the same time. It didn’t take long for the whole affair to turn into one big free for all game of tickle tag. In the end, no one was safe, not even the older Raphael and Michelangelo.  
Finally, twenty minutes later, the nine exhausted turtles just sort of collapsed all over the makeshift dojo. “Do you do this a lot,” the oldest Michelangelo asked Mikey once he caught his breath.  
“Not so much recently,” the youngest turtle replied. “What with Leo dying a couple of times in the past month, and then his kidnapping by the crazy Babbots just before that, things have been a bit serious around the Lair for a while. But when things aren’t crazy, then yeah, practice usually ends something like this.”  
“Whoa, whoa, did you say Babbots? As in Peter and James Babbot,” the older Raphael asked, overhearing the conversation. “I knew my two doubles said that Leo had been kidnapped by a couple of psychos, but somehow I missed that it was the Babbots.”  
“Let me guess,” Leo said as he and the rest of the family regrouped around the trio. “You’ve had some interactions with one or both of those, what was it I heard that Raphael called them? Oh, yeah, those over-qualified candidates for the loony bin.”  
“That describes, well I should say described, them perfectly,” Raphael responded. “I found out that Saki was turning particularly troublesome prisoners over to James for his version of hunting. That was one kill I don’t feel ashamed of admitting to. As for Peter, Saki had him working in one of his think tanks. I’m not sure how, but someone got past the guards and took that slimy bastard out, too.”  
“Uh, actually that was me,” the older Michelangelo admitted somewhat self-consciously. “He was causing too many casualties among the resistance, so we had to take him out. I tried offering him a place with our people, but he was too twisted. In the end, it was just easier to put him out of our misery.”  
“Hey, you’re not going to get any judgment from us,” the younger Raphael told him, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. “For one, we have no room to speak, having taken out the Babbots in our dimension. Number two, war often requires you to do things you normally wouldn’t. And three, those two nut jobs were pure evil, and deserved everything they got.”  
“Okay, well, enough serious talk,” Mikey said. “I’m starved. I say we go get something to eat.”  
“Sounds good to me,” Leo seconded. “And then we should all head off to bed.” Ignoring his brothers’ groans he added, “Tomorrow’s going to come quickly. Besides, we have a battle coming our way in the next few days, and we need to be as rested as we can.”  
As he herded his brothers out of the dojo, Leo looked over at the two older turtles. “Why don’t the two of you join us tonight,” he suggested. “We have more than enough room where we’re sleeping.”  
“I don’t know,” Michelangelo hedged, looking decidedly uncomfortable. Raphael, on the other hand, looked downright shocked by the proposal.  
“Hey, Cyclops,” his younger self called from the door where he was waiting for Leo. “Get your mind out of the gutter. Sleeping, and I mean that in the most literal sense, with your bros is a great way to reconnect. There is nothing better than feeling your siblings cuddled up next to you, and knowing that, at least for the time being, everyone is safe and where they’re supposed to be.”  
“And trust me,” Raph said as he, too, came back to check on his big brother. “Coming from Mr. Emotional Constipation over here, that’s saying a lot.”  
The one-eyed turtle and the one-armed turtle looked at each other. After a brief moment, Michelangelo turned back to the younger turtles. “All right,” he said. “We accept.  
With a wide grin, Raphael (the one with two working eyes) slung an arm over the older turtle’s shoulders. “Good choice, bro, good choice,” he said. “Now, let’s get to that food before the Brats eat everything.”  
“Uhm, have you seen the menu around here,” the older Raphael asked. “I doubt that’s very likely.”  
“Dude,” Raph said, “you haven’t seen our youngest brothers in action. If it even looks like food, and as long as it isn’t still moving, they’ll eat it.”  
The others cracked up at that, and the small group headed out the door.  
TMNTTMNT  
From the shadows, unnoticed, Leonardo watched his brothers leave with the new arrivals. Although it was difficult seeing them re-bond with each other, and make new connections with their younger selves, at least it made his decision easier. Tomorrow he would make his goodbyes, and then he would disappear for good. It was clear, now more than ever, that his brothers didn’t need him. He’d failed them one too many times, and now they had a new leader in his younger self to look after them. So he would face them one last time to say goodbye. This was one task he refused to let himself fail at, for his brothers deserved to hear directly from him that he was going. And then he would finally be free to let his life end as it would.


	11. Leaving's Not the Only Way to Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the formatting for the last chapter was a little wonky. I'm doing this while I have down-time at work, so I'm hot-spotting my phone. It won't allow for the richer text version.

Upon waking the next morning, Raphael, Sr. found himself being used as a pillow by both his brother and Donny. To his surprise, he wasn’t uncomfortable with the situation like he thought he should be. Instead, it was as his younger self had said the evening before: having the two younger turtles cuddled up against him was indeed a comforting sensation. Carefully craning his head, making sure not to disturb either of the sleeping turtles next to him, Raphael was able to see that the others were similarly situated around the room. Leo was snuggled between the Menaces, while Donatello appeared to be trapped beneath the sprawled out Brats.

Raphael was about to close his eyes for a few more minutes of sleep, when the sound of quiet whimpering drew his attention back toward Leo. One of the Menaces, he couldn’t tell which one since neither was wearing a mask, was apparently having a nightmare. Leo just pulled his younger brother closer. The older Raphael could tell the young leader was murmuring something to his brother, but he was too far away to hear exactly what. Not that it mattered; whatever Leo was saying worked, for his brother settled back down into peaceful sleep. As he closed his eyes and thought about the scene he’d just witnessed, the one-eyed turtle couldn’t help remembering back to when he and his brothers were younger. Back before Donatello was…gone, Leonardo had been that loving and open with his affection and care; stubborn, honor-laden, black-and-white world view, hardcore ninja, yes, but also incredibly caring. Well, Raphael decided. If I can apologize to Michelangelo and make things right with him, I can do the same with Leonardo. As young Leo and his brothers keep pointing out, Leonardo is my brother. It’s time I remember that and do something about getting my big brother back where he belongs.

TMNTTMNT

As with the morning before, Donny and Donatello were dismissed from morning practice to work on the exo-suit. They had assured Leo that all they should probably need was just that morning, and then the battle armor would be operational and ready for use. As for the rest of the family, Leo had once again set them to sparring with their twins. This time, however, he had mixed things up by asking the two older turtles to work with their younger selves. It would introduce a new dynamic to the routine, and allow the younger turtles to get some pointers from someone who, for all intents and purposes, knew them inside and out. Leo himself spent the morning pulling his brothers aside one-by-one for a little one-on-one work. None of them were aware that they were being scrutinized from the shadows.

As Leonardo watched his two brothers work with the younger turtles, he felt an unexpected pang of sorrow in his heart. When he had reached the decision to leave for good, he hadn’t realized it was going to hurt this badly. The oldest turtle forced the pain aside and strengthened his resolve. He was doing this for his siblings. They would be much better off without him. Besides, it wasn’t as if they needed him anymore anyway.

Stepping out of the shadows, Leonardo stood silently, expectantly at the edge of the room. It didn’t take long for the others to notice him. As soon as they did, all motion came to a grinding halt. Forcing himself to look each of his brother’s eyes, Leonardo said, “I came to tell you I’m leaving. For good. I wish you the best of luck in your upcoming battle, but I can’t z stay.”

“Won’t stay, you mean,” the oldest Michelangelo muttered bitterly. Leo placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.

“Mike, you may not be able to see it, but I’m doing this for you,” Leonardo said, his voice just shy of sounding desperate. “You, Raphael, shell, everything will be much better off once I’m…gone.”

“Like shell we will,” his youngest brother responded, turning away from his brother so that Leonardo could not see the hurt and fear filling his eyes. He “heard” what his older brother wasn’t saying. When Leonardo said “gone,” he really meant dead. “You’re leaving because it’s easiest for you. Because it’s easier to be a coward and go out and get yourself killed than it is to admit you messed up and that you want your family back. Well, fine then; if you’re going to be that way then just go. We don’t need you anyway. You’re just a lousy, spineless, useless failure anyway.”

The one armed turtle didn’t see his brother flinch, but Raph and Raphael did. They looked at each other in concern. Things definitely weren’t going well, and their older selves would never completely heal if Leonardo left now; an event which, sadly, it looked like no one was going to try and prevent. 

Leonardo turned to leave, ignoring the pleading look his Raphael was giving him. The one-eyed turtle looked to dejected it almost made the oldest turtle change his mind. Steeling himself against the unexpected doubts, Leonardo looked away and continued toward the door. He had just reached the safety of the shadowed hallway, when he found his way blocked by Raph and Raphael.

“Move you two,” he said, though his tone was more tired than forceful.

“I don’t think so,” Raph said. “At least, not until you explain why you’re so desperate to hurt yourself and your brothers this way.”

“It’s none of your business,” Leonardo replied. “Besides, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Try again, bonehead,” Raphael growled. “Remember what I told you last time? I’ve been there; I know it seems so much easier to walk away and abandon those you that need you than it is to face up the fact that they do depend on you. But you know what, it isn’t. They haunt you; the ones you leave behind. And getting yourself killed isn’t going to help. I’ve seen what’s on the other side. You will just face an eternity of regretting what you’ve done, but you won’t have any way of fixing things.”

“Just shut up,” Leonardo demanded, his hands clenching into fists. “I don’t want to hear this.”

“Tough,” Raph told him. “You’re going to hear it regardless of whether or not you want to.”

Leonardo unsheathed his sword. “No, I’m not,” he said quietly. “Now move before I make you move.”

Without a pause, both younger turtles drew their weapons as well. “You’re going to regret this,” Raph warned him.

“I highly doubt that,” Leonardo said. Then he charged the two sai-bearing turtles. Raphael met him head on, catching the single katana with his sai. At the same time, Raph leaped over his head and was about to attack from the rear, when Leonardo pushed Raphael away from him and kicked out at the leather-masked turtle, catching him straight on in the chest. The Menaces went tumbling in opposite directions, but they instantly regained their feet. Looking over Leonardo’s head, they met each other’s eyes. A flash of communication passed between them, and they both nodded. This confrontation needed to end, and quickly. It was time to stop playing nice and show Leonardo just what they could do. Immediately, Raph launched himself at Leonardo. He was moving so fast, the older turtle didn’t even have time to react. Hitting Leonardo in the chest, Raph bore him to the floor. The mostly blind turtle had barely hit the floor, when he felt his sword arm grabbed and the loud clang of metal on concrete. Leonardo tried with all his might to yank his arm back, but he couldn’t move it. A quick glance revealed this his arm had been pinned to the floor by one of Raphael’s sais, his katana knocked loose and lying a few feet away on the ground.

Leonardo tried to buck Raph off his chest, but he could barely move. Instead, the younger turtle just sat patiently while the older turtle squirmed ineffectively for several minutes. Finally it became clear that he wasn’t going anywhere, and Leonardo stopped fighting. Closing his eyes in defeat he asked dejectedly, “Why won’t you let me go? I’m a useless has-been who has failed his brothers too many times to count. My brothers don’t need me, and you’re all better off without me.”

The all-too familiar refrain had Raph and Raphael looking at each other in increased concern. “Leonardo,” Raph said gently. “I want you to listen to me. You are neither useless, nor a failure. You have faced a number of horrific events that would have destroyed most people, and yet you have survived. As for your brothers, they need you far more than you seem to realize.”

“You don’t understand,” Leonardo said hopelessly. “It’s all my fault. I failed to keep Donatello safe. I failed to save my father or protect my brothers. And to top it all off, it’s my fault our home was attacked and destroyed.”

“How do you figure that,” Raphael asked. “You give the Foot directions to the Lair and invite them in?”

“No, but I had the chance not long before the attack to kill Karai, and I didn’t do it,” Leonardo replied. “I had her at my mercy, and I let her go. Then, thanks to my stupid compassion, she led an army into my home, and destroyed my family.”

Thump! Raph smacked the older turtle smartly on the chest. “Compassion is never stupid. That is one of your finest traits. It’s one that your brothers depend on. That she chose to take advantage of it is on her, not you.”

“But if I hadn’t let Karai go—“

“Then you wouldn’t be the leader your brothers depend on,” Raphael interrupted. “You wouldn’t be you. And right now, it’s you that your brothers need.”

“Why would they need me,” Leonardo asked gruffly. “They have you and your brothers.”

“We’re just the pinch-hitters,” Raphael told him. “We’re only filling in until you can come back into the game.”

“Besides, even if they don’t seem to need you, you need your brothers,” Raph said. “Aren’t you tired of being alone and hurting? Don’t you miss your brothers? Don’t you want to be part of a family again?”

“But—“

“No ‘buts,’ just yes or no,” Raph said.

“Yes.” The response was quiet, almost inaudible, but it was exactly the breakthrough the twins were waiting for. If Leonardo could admit that he wanted his family back, then there was still hope that matters could be repaired. With a grunt, Raphael pulled his sai from the floor, freeing Leonardo’s arm. Raph stood up, reached a helping hand down to the prostrate turtle. Leonardo considered the hand for a moment, and then reached up to grab it. Raph pulled him to his feet, and Raphael returned his sword to him. Leonardo took the weapon, then looked at the younger turtles expectantly. “Now what,” he asked.

“Well, that’s up to you,” Raphael said. “It’s clear you have some things you need to say, but we’re not the ones who need to hear them. So, we can either go back to the dojo and hash this out altogether, or we can go get just your younger brothers and talk things over with them.”

“No,” Leonardo immediately protested. “Not all at once. Please.”

“What if we brought them out one at a time,” Raph suggested instead. “That would perhaps be the best choice.” Leonardo could only nod. “All right, who do you want to see first? I’m thinking Raphael might be a better choice. Mike’s really angry with you right now, so it might be better to let him cool off some.”

“Raphael’s fine,” Leonardo whispered.

“Good,” the younger Raphael said. “Then the two of you stay here, and I’ll fetch the Captain.” And with that, he turned and disappeared down the hall.

“The Captain,” Leonardo asked Raph once his twin was gone.

“Our name is rather hard to come up with a third variation of,” Raph explained. “So last night at dinner, Mikey suggested that with only one eye, your Raphael looked like he ought to be some sort of pirate captain. So we’re trying it out. Not sure if it will stick or not.”

Leonardo didn’t have the chance to respond to that, for the sound of the two returning Raphael’s reached them at that point. Taking a deep breath, Leonardo turned and braced himself to face his brother once more.


	12. You Can Come Home Again

Leonardo watched his younger brother’s approach with ever increasing apprehension.

“Easy there big guy,” Raph told him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. “He’s your brother, not your enemy. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Leonardo wanted to protest that he wasn’t afraid, but he knew it would have been a lie. In any case, he didn’t have the chance to respond, for at that moment the two red-masked turtles arrived.

“So, you’re still here,” the one-eyed turtle remarked. Leonardo listened hard for any sign of belligerence in his sibling’s voice, but there wasn’t any. If anything, Raphael sounded as hesitant as Leonardo felt.

“It would seem our ‘younger brothers’ are more persuasive than I had previously given credit for.”

“Tell me about it,” Raphael muttered.

At that point, awkward silence took over. Neither of the older turtles knew quite what to say, and they were so busy not looking at each other that they couldn’t see the other’s discomfort.

“Oh, good grief,” the younger Raphael said. “The two of you are beyond belief.” That got the pair’s attention, and they looked at the younger turtle, startled by the outburst. “You two haven’t spoken in nearly thirty years, and you don’t have anything to say to each other?”

“Hey chump, this ain’t as easy at it looks,” the newly minted “Captain” growled.

“Try that on someone who hasn’t been there,” Raphael snapped back. Then his voice softened a bit. “I know it ain’t easy. But one of you has got to get things moving, and right now he’s too mired in his own guilt to be the one to do it.”

The older Raphael thought about that for a moment. Then he turned a considering look on his older brother. Forcing aside years of ingrained anger and resentment, he actually looked at Leonardo for the first time in decades, and what he saw scared the crap out of him. Without the rage blinding him, it was easy to see that Leonardo looked…defeated. It was clear that the oldest turtle was at the breaking point. It wasn’t what Raphael was expecting to see, and it was almost enough to break the war-hardened turtle’s heart. It certainly frightened him. Leonardo was, he could see now, in a world of pain; years of guilt and self-hate had worn him down until it looked like the slightest touch would cause him to shatter. Not on my watch, Raphael thought, his resolve strengthening. Just that morning he’d vowed he’d do whatever was necessary to get his big brother back, and now was the time to prove it. Well, the first thing to do was show that he was glad that his brother had chosen to stay.

Raising his head to meet his brother’s eyes, Raphael softly said, “Bro, I, uh, I’m glad you didn’t go.” Leonardo’s eyes went wide behind his shades, but he didn’t get the opportunity to respond before Raphael continued. “I didn’t get the chance to say anything before you stormed out, but I don’t want you to go. We need you here, bro. I need you.” This last was said in an almost inaudible whisper.

“How can you say that,” Leonardo asked his brother. “Everything, all of this, is my fault. Donatello’s disappearance, Master’s Splinter’s death, your eye, Michelangelo’s arm, the loss of the Lair, all because of me.”

“No, bro,” Raphael protested, but Leonardo wasn’t listening.

“I failed,” Leonardo whispered. “Can’t you see that?”

“No,” Raphael exclaimed. “You didn’t fail! You did your best. You’re not God, Leonardo. There was nothing you could have done.”

“I had the chance to kill Karai, and I didn’t take it,” Leonardo all but yelled back. “And thanks to my damn compassion, she came into our home and tore it apart. Our father died because of what I did. How can you say there wasn’t anything I could have done?”

“Because there wasn’t,” Raphael said firmly. “If you had killed her in cold blood, it would have destroyed you. That’s not who you are, bro. And it was never your fault that Master Splinter died. As you’ve told me time and time again, it was what he wanted. He gave his life to protect us, to give us the chance to get out. We all would have died if he hadn’t. I had no business saying those things I did after that fight, or all of those things I’ve said over the years. I’m sorry, bro.”

At that, as his barriers started to crumble, terror ceased the oldest turtle’s mind, and he began to moan low in his throat, thoroughly scaring his younger brother. “Leonardo, what’s wrong,” Raphael cried.

“No,” the older turtle whimpered. “I can’t do this.”

“Do what,” Raphael asked, completely at a loss.

“I can’t let you close again,” Leonardo whispered. “It’s too dangerous. I’ll get you killed. I have…I have to stay away.”

Raphael stood staring at the quaking turtle before for a long moment. Then, without thinking, he threw himself at his brother and wrapped his around him. Leo stood stock still, unresponsive for a longest moment. Finally, though, he allowed his head to fall to his brother’s shoulder. That was all the sign Raphael needed, and he tightened his arms around his brother. With one hand he pushed his brother’s head closer into his shoulder, while he rubbed his brother’s shell with the other.

“Don’t you dare,” Raphael said harshly, although he never let up on his desperate hold on his brother. “It. Wasn’t. Your. Fault. And you’re not going to get us killed. We’re more likely to get ourselves killed if you’re not there. Haven’t you caught on yet? We need you. I have missed you so much.” Tears started tracking down his face. “I love you. I want my big brother back. I want my family back, and that means everyone. Please, don’t leave us!” This last was said in a desperate whisper. When Leonardo didn’t say anything else, the one-eyed turtle turned scared eyes on his younger counterparts. This was far beyond his experience, and he wasn’t sure he was reaching his brother.

The Menaces looked at each other, then back at the two older turtles. 

“Leonardo, I know you didn’t want to face everyone else, but I really think we need Leo’s help,” Raph told the trembling turtle. “He’s been where you are, and I think he can help. Will you let me go get him?”

Leonardo didn’t respond for a long moment, but he finally nodded against his brother’s shoulder. Immediately Raph took off down the hallway. To the older Raphael’s surprise, his younger self moved closer to where he was standing. Under the younger turtle’s guidance, he found himself sitting on the floor, Leonardo tucked under his chin and huddled up against his plastron. Two sympathetic eyes met one scared one.

“Don’t know why,” the younger Raphael said, “but this always works to calm my bro down.” It seemed to work for the older Leonardo too, for the oldest turtle had ceased to tremble and was simply holding on to his brother like he was never going to let go. That was exactly how Leo found them a few moments later.

“You’ve really gotten yourself into a mess, haven’t you,” Leo asked gently as he took seat opposite the two older turtles. “We are quite the pair, the two of us. We take the world’s problems onto our shoulders, and then forget how to let go. Fortunately for both of us, we have brothers who are willing to help, if we’re willing to let them.”

“I can’t,” Leonardo mumbled from where he was cradled against his brother. “I’ll get them killed.”

“So that’s why you’re snuggled up to your bro like there’s no tomorrow,” Leo asked, though there was mockery in his tone. “It seems to me your heart knows what you need better than your head does.”

“No,” Leonardo moaned, and he began to struggle against his brother’s hold, but Raphael refused to let go.

“Leonardo,” Leo said sharply, causing the older turtle to freeze and turn his attention to his younger counterpart. “It’s okay to need your brothers. And it’s even okay to be afraid for them. But you have to remember something: you are always stronger together. It took me a long time to learn that lesson, but it’s the truth.”

“But I’m going to get them killed,” Leonardo protested. “I am not safe to be around.”

No one but Leo noticed that both Raphael’s winced at hearing that, those word being reminiscent of the accusation Leo’s Raphael had thrown at him not all that long ago. It would seem there were still some unsettled concerns in his own family that needed addressing. But for right now, it was the older turtles that needed the help. Leo forced back a sigh. It would seem this older version of himself was even more knotted up inside than he had ever been, except for maybe that night he had hanged himself. That meant that words just weren’t going to cut it. Leonardo had himself so convinced that he was right that they would never be able to talk him around. So, they would have to take a more direct approach.

Without bothering to ask, Leo reached over and took Raphael’s right hand and Leonardo’s left hand in his own. With the physical contact his empathy immediately connected with their emotions. Very carefully he showed each turtle exactly what the other was thinking and feeling.

At once, Leonardo was inundated with his brother’s fear. Raphael was afraid of losing his older brother and best friend once again. The one-eyed turtle was also afraid that he had pushed Leonardo too far, too often, and that the oldest turtle would never be able to forgive him for all the things he’d said over the years. Behind the fear was grief and guilt. Yes, Raphael was grieving over their lost brother and father, and the destruction of their home, but even more he was grieving over what had been done to his remaining family. Likewise, the second oldest turtle felt things intensely, though he rarely showed it, and Leonardo’s withdrawal all those years before had wounded him deeply, and he felt profoundly guilty that he had not been able to bring Leonardo back from his dark precipice then. And then there were all the hurtful, nasty comments that had been made over the years, piling more and more hurt and guilt on the already overburdened turtle, making Raphael feel even guiltier. But most importantly, Leonardo could feel his brother’s love. His emotions laid bare this way, Raphael could not hide the love affection, and respect he still harbored for his brother, even after they had been through. That shining emotion was like burning candle in the darkness that had become Leonardo’s world. Under its gentle but unwavering light, the shadows that haunted Leonardo’s soul began to release their hold on him.

For his part, Raphael was stunned by the almost crushing wave of guilt that flowed from his brother. He had known that Leonardo took far too much responsibility on his shoulders, but this was ridiculous. Only Leonardo would feel guilty for the time Mikey broke his toe on the wrench Donatello had left lying around because Leonardo had forgotten to remind him to put it up. But this business with both Donatello’s disappearance and with Karai really took the cake. Either incident had had the power to shred the oldest turtle’s heart to pieces, but together they had all but destroyed him. And then Raphael hit upon Leonardo’s skewed plan to keep his brothers safe following the destruction of their home. At first it enraged the second oldest that his brother would purposefully goad him into losing his temper as a means of focusing all the guilt on himself. But after the first wave of anger had passed, Raphael felt like his heart was going to break. Unbalanced or not, the sheer selflessness of Leonardo’s actions over the past three decades stunned the hot-headed turtle. But immediately following that was alarm that his brother desired death so strongly. Raphael knew that if he couldn’t convince his brother otherwise, he would allow himself to be killed, if only to bring his pain to an end.

Opening eyes he hadn’t realized were closed, Raphael looked at his brother in desperation. “Leonardo, listen to me,” he said distraughtly. “I want you to understand this: I never hated you, I never blamed you, and I certainly never wanted you dead. All these years you’ve been punishing yourself for something that was never your fault. Well, bro, it’s time it stopped. You know what I’m saying is true; you’ve seen everything that’s in my heart and mind. So it’s time to come home. You have a family that loves you, that needs you. It’s hard; shell, I know it’s hard, but it’s time to trust again. It’s time to start living again. I’m here for you, Leonardo. Everything is going to be okay.”

This time Leonardo couldn’t deny what his brother was telling him. Overcome with emotion, he threw his arms around his brother’s neck. “Don’t leave me,” he whispered, his voice harsh with urgency and suppressed tears. “I…I need you. I have missed you so much. Please, take me back.”

“Shh, it’s okay, bro.” Raphael wrapped his arms tightly around his brother. “Everything’s going to be okay now. I promise. Just hang tight to me, and we’ll be just fine.”


	13. Home Again

Raphael wasn’t sure how long he and his brother stood there clinging to each other. At last he understood why both Raph and the younger Raphael were so protective of their Leo. For all of their strengths, the oldest member of the two families were incredibly vulnerable. Whether they saw it or not, they needed their younger brothers to look out for them.

When at last the two brothers stepped back, they found themselves alone in the hallway, save for the younger Leo.

“I sent them to keep on eye on Michelangelo, and to prevent him from disappearing” he told them when Leonardo asked where his brothers had gone. “I know this has been rough on you, but you need speak to your youngest brother now. He’s hurting, and I’m afraid if you wait you will create an irreparable breach between you.”

The mere thought of facing his youngest brother scared Leonardo more than anything he’d been forced to do in a long time, even dealing with his diminished sight. “Stay with me, please,” Leonardo asked Raphael imploringly. His brother immediately wrapped a supportive arm around the older turtle’s shoulders.

“You need to talk to him alone, but I won’t be far away,” he promised. “If you need me, I’ll be there.”

Leonardo nodded his acceptance, and the trio turned and made their way back to the makeshift dojo. Once inside, it became clear that it was taking the combined efforts of both the Brats and the Menaces to convince the one-armed turtle to stick around. The older turtle was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, an unhappy scowl on his face. Upon seeing his oldest brother come through the door, however, his eyes widened in shock, and his arms dropped back to his sides. Almost instantaneously the scowling, closed off posture returned, but not before his brother saw the relieved expression that had flickered across the younger turtle’s face.

Leonardo didn’t see his counterpart give the signal, but it only took a moment for the room to empty of everyone but the three oldest turtles. For a long moment, no one said anything. Then, finally disentangling himself from Raphael's supportive arm, Leonardo made his way over to his youngest brother.

TTTT

When Michelangelo saw his oldest brother walk back through the door, he had been stunned. He had been certain Leonardo was gone for good. Even more astounding had been the anxious way he had been clinging to Raphael, as if he would shatter if the one-eyed turtle let go. Directly on the heels of his stunned relief, however, had come the anger and the hurt. How dare Leonardo hurt him like this again! He was tired of Leonardo’s repetitive disappearing act; his heart couldn’t take anymore. Enough was well more than enough.

Michelangelo’s rage was on the verge of boiling over when Leonardo moved to stand in front of him.

“Mike, I’m—“but before he could finish saying “sorry,” Michelangelo lashed out and slugged his brother in the face, sending him to the floor.

“Hey,” Raphael growled, taking a menacing step toward the pair, but Leonardo motioned for him to stay back.

“No, Raphael,” Leonardo told him, regaining his feet. “I more than deserved that.”

“Damn right you did,” Michelangelo exclaimed. “You bastard! You left me again. Every time I have needed you, you have run off.” Without warning, he hit his brother again, hard enough to rock Leonardo back on his heels. “First you withdrew emotionally after Don’s disappearance. I was depending on you to help me hold it together, but you weren’t there. Instead, you closed yourself and became no better than some cold, ruthless stranger. And then you physically deserted me after our home got destroyed. Damn it, Leonardo, our home was gone, and you just up and disappeared. I was in pain, and terrified out of my shell, especially waking up to find that my arm really was gone, and you couldn’t even bother to stick around long enough to tell me our father was dead yourself! And now, without a thought or a care for the rest of your family, you were going to go out get yourself killed. How could you be so selfish? Well guess what? I’m tired of it!” Michelangelo punctuated his entire diatribe with a volley of kicks and punches that left his oldest brother breathless and bleeding on the floor. He might have continued the barrage, except Raphael placed himself between the enraged Michelangelo and Leonardo, who was refusing to fight back or defend himself.

“Michelangelo, stop it,” Raphael ordered, grabbing his younger brother before he could hit Leonardo again. “I know you’re hurt, and angry, and scared, but bro, this ain’t the way to fix it. Thanks to Leonardo’s ‘mini me’ I’ve seen inside our big brother’s head, and he’s been doing a fine job of tormenting and punishing himself for the past three decades. Trust me; you can’t be any more disgusted with him than he is with himself. He doesn’t need you adding to it. But it comes down to the question of what do you want to happen here? If you want to destroy our brother completely and guarantee that he goes out and gets himself killed, then by all means, keep this childish behavior up. But if you really want our family back together, then get over there, apologize to your brother, and let him apologize to you.”

Pulling angrily away from Raphael’s grasp, Michelangelo turned back to his oldest brother. Leonardo still lay huddled on the ground where he had fallen. That sight was enough to restore some measure of rationality to the angry turtle. That’s when, Raphael’s words beginning to sink in, the regret began to take the place of his previous anger, and the youngest turtle moved hesitantly to his brother’s side. Looking at his defeated looking brother, Michelangelo was horrified at what he had done. Tears pooling in his eyes, he cautiously laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder, visibly wincing when the older turtle flinched slightly at his touch.

“Bro, I…I’m sorry,” he whispered, tears finally breaking free.

“It’s okay,” Leonardo told him, slowly shifting so that he was kneeling next to his brother. This time it was his turn to put a comforting arm around his sibling’s shoulders.

“No, it’s not okay,” Michelangelo contradicted. “No matter how mad I was, I had no business attacking you like that. It was dishonorable and uncalled for.”

“Michelangelo, I have hurt you badly and repeatedly for the past three decades,” Leonardo told him, his arm dropping from his brother’s shoulders. “You have every right to be angry and resentful. I deserved every bit of what you gave me.”

It was then that Michelangelo realized just what Raphael had been trying to tell him about their brother. No matter how justifiably angry they were with him, neither of them could come close to punishing Leonardo the way he punished himself. In that instant Michelangelo’s anger evaporated, leaving only vague, confused hurt behind in its wake. However, despite his lingering uncertainty and indignation, there was one thing Michelangelo was sure of. “No, Leonardo, you didn’t deserve it. I had no business hurting you like that,” he hastened to correct his brother.

“But—“

“No ‘buts,’ bro,” Michelangelo said, placing his hand on his brother’s arm. “There is no excuse. But I would like an explanation. I think I deserve that much at least. Why, Leonardo?”

“Why what?”

“To start with, why did you become such a cold bastard after Donatello disappeared,” Michelangelo asked, sounding disarmingly almost like he had all those years ago. “We had already lost one brother, and then it was like you turned into the abdominal snowman, you were so cold and distant, not to mention angry all the time. And I want to know why.”

Leonardo closed his eyes so that he wouldn’t have to see the lingering hurt in his brother’s clear blue eyes. “Because it was my fault,” he told the younger turtle. “I had failed to protect Don, and then he was gone. No one else seemed to understand that I deserved to be punished; since no one else was doing it, I had to punish myself, so I made myself withdraw from your emotional support. After all, I wasn’t worthy of it anymore.”

“But Leonardo, you were punishing us as well as yourself,” Michelangelo pointed out. “It was like you just didn’t care that our brother was gone. It got to the point that I didn’t think you’d care if the rest of us disappeared, too. I used to have nightmares about just that situation. I would be falling, but you would just turn and walk away.”

“Mike, I’m so sorry,” Leonardo moaned, covering his face with his hands. Michelangelo could tell he was in pain, but the can had been opened, and there was no going back until he’d gotten everything out of his system.

“And then our home was destroyed,” Michelangelo continued. “I woke up after that battle only to discover that I had absolutely nothing left. My arm was gone, my father was dead, my home was destroyed, and I didn’t have a single brother in sight to help me through it. Even worse, since then neither you nor Raphael has ever shown any sign that you still care that I’m even alive. Damn it Leonardo,” Michelangelo exclaimed, the tears falling harder now. “My world had crumbled, but the two individuals I depended on to help me through it were gone. I had to go through recovery and physical therapy, as well as relearn how to fight, all by myself. Why did you abandon me like that?”

“Because I was too dangerous to be around,” Leonardo exclaimed, startling his brother. “I didn’t kill Karai when I had the chance, and then she came into our home, killed our father, hurt my brothers, and it was entirely my fault! Everyone I cared for, everything I loved was destroyed because of me. I lost you your arm, your innocence, your home, shell, your family. I couldn’t stay around and cause you to be destroyed, too. So I left; left to make sure you wouldn’t get killed as well. I couldn’t stand it if you or Raphael got killed because of me, too.”

At long last, it all made sense to Michelangelo, especially Leonardo’s apparent death wish. It was like Raphael had said; Leonardo was punishing himself, but with his twisted, self-hating world view he was unable to see that he was punishing his brothers as well. In the face of that truth, Michelangelo let go of the last of his hurt. Yes, the years had been hard on him, but by and large they had been far harder on his brother. The only question now was could they reclaim Leonardo, or was he too lost in his own warped world to find his way out?

Turning to face his brother dead on, Michelangelo took one of Leonardo’s hands in his own. “I want you to listen to me,” he said resolutely. “None of what happened to our family was your fault. You didn’t make Don disappear, and you didn’t lead Karai into the Lair. It wasn’t your fault that Master Splinter was killed, or that Raphael and I were hurt. We each can only be held responsible for what we do, not what others choose. So it’s time to stop feeling guilty, bro. Yes, you made some bad choices, but so did I. After all, there’s blame enough to share in this whole mess, but in the grand scheme of things, none of it seems to matter anymore. I just want my brother back. I don’t want you to go off and get yourself killed. I forgive you, Leonardo. Please, stay.”

Leonardo withdrew his hand from his brother’s grasp, only to wrap his arms around Michelangelo’s neck. The one-armed turtle returned the embrace as best he could, ignoring the growing wet sensation on his chest. Instead, he just whispered soft words and sounds of comfort, doing what he could to convince his brother that everything was forgiven. After a few minutes, Leonardo pulled back. Every so gently, Michelangelo reached up and wiped the tears from his brother’s face. “I love you, big brother,” he said tenderly. “Welcome back.”

“I love you too,” Leonardo whispered. Just then, the sound of someone clearing his throat made the two turtles remember they weren’t alone. Turning, they both reached out to Raphael and drew him into their joint embrace.

“Bros, I’m going to say this one last time,” Leonardo said. “I am so sorry for everything I have put you both through. I can’t promise that I will get better immediately, but I will try. But I’m probably going to need a lot of help, and a lot of patient reminders.”

“We’ve got your back, bro,” Raphael assured him.

“Yeah, we’re not letting you go again,” Michelangelo added. “Not now that we have you back.”

After that, the trio sat in contented silence, just enjoying each other’s presence. It had been far too long since their family had felt this whole, and with the upcoming battle, they would need each other more than ever. But in this place, this time, nothing else mattered except being together once more.


	14. Different Strokes

With a unanimous decision, the three oldest turtles attended that afternoon’s planning session. No comment was made as the trio of senior turtles took their places at the table; at least, the younger turtles made no comments. They had been where their older selves were too often, and in too recent history to make any sort of remark, even in jest. April, however, felt no such constraint. With tears of joy filling her eyes, she threw her arms around the three siblings; Leonardo first, and then Raphael and Michelangelo in quick succession. 

“I honestly thought I’d never see this day,” she told the brothers through her tears. “You’re back; you’re a family again.” She hugged Leonardo again, only to pull back a second later to look at him with a puzzled expression on her face. “So does this mean you’re in charge, or is Leo still running things?”

Caught by surprise, Leonardo cast a startled look at the others. “I…I’m not sure,” he spluttered. He met his younger self’s eyes, at least as well as he could through his dark tinted glasses, but Leo just looked back at him calmly, willing to go either way. After a moment the corner of Leonardo’s mouth quirked up. “Leo’s done a hell of a job thus far, and I don’t see any reason to mess with success.”

His response was met with quiet acceptance by all involved, and with the matter decided, the group settled in for the most unusual planning session the three senior turtles had ever experienced. Instead of Leo laying out his own pre-planned strategy for the attack, all of the turtles were encouraged to present different ideas for the assault on Saki’s headquarters. It was from these suggestions that Leo put together a plan everyone was able to agree on. Everyone except the Menaces, that is.

“No way, bro,” Raphael exploded. “Teaming you and Leo, Sr. up without one of us to watch your back is like pouring gasoline on a trash fire to put it out; it’s just going to blow up in your face. You’re both too big a trouble magnet by yourselves; there’s no way you can convince me you should team up.”

“I’m sorry you don’t like,” Leo countered coolly, “but that’s the way it has to be. You, Raph, the Brats, Michelangelo, and Captain Kid over there will have to take care of the Legion bots. Donny and Donatello are responsible for keeping Saki busy, while Leonardo and I handle Karai. Once she’s out of the picture, it’s going to take all of us to take the Shredder out.”

“I’m with Raphael on this one,” Raph said, joining the discussion. “I don’t see why the Captain can’t watch Leonardo’s back while we watch yours.”

Leo took a deep breath, then explained, “We’re not ready to mix up our fighters like that. Remember our last practice back home? That being said, it is better for everyone if you fight alongside someone who is at least marginally familiar with your fighting style. That means grouping up with our doubles. Until we’ve had some more practice, it would be more dangerous for you two to guard my back than it will be for Leonardo and me to work together.”

The Menaces grumbled under their breath, but they couldn’t argue with their brother’s logic. Besides, although it was hitting below the belt, they couldn’t ignore the reminder of the danger _they_ could put their big brother in because they weren’t comfortable with their new abilities.

Satisfied that, at least for the moment, his brothers were done arguing, Leo recapped the whole plan to make sure everyone was clear on who was supposed to do what. “Okay, our final plan is as follows: April will lead her Resistance forces and take out the transporter and as many of Saki’s enterprises as they can. At the same time, we will attack Saki directly at his HQ. The Geniuses, using the exo-suit, will get us in and keep the Shredder distracted. All three variations of Raphael, as well as the three stooges, excuse me, Michelangelo’s, will handle the Legion bots.” He looked at his two younger brothers. “That’s the best way for all of you to watch our backs. In the mean time, Leonardo and I will take out Karai. Once she’s been dealt with, we’ll all regroup with Donny and Donatello to finish off the Shredder once and for all. Now, does anyone have any questions?”

“It all sounds good,” Raphael said, but his single eye still held some measure of doubt. “But what if we _can’t_ stop Saki? Even with ten of us it still might not be enough.”

“Bro, don’t get your shell in a wad,” Mikey told him jovially, slapping him on the shoulder.

“Indeed,” Donatello echoed. “If all of us working together can’t take the Shredder down, well then we’ll have to use our secret weapon.”

The older turtle didn’t understand the look the young genius cast his oldest brother, but something about nod Leo sent back assured him that, one way or another, Saki would be taken care of.

Sensing that everyone was as ready as they could be, Leo dismissed them until it was time to reassemble for that night’s operation. As the meeting broke up, and everyone began filing out of the chamber, the oldest version of Michelangelo found himself alongside Leo and the Menaces. Still a little unsettled from the rather unusual planning session they’d just held, he couldn’t help commenting to the younger turtles, “That was the oddest strategy meeting I’ve ever seen. I mean, I would have expected that Leo would have come in with the attack all planned out ahead of time.”

“That’s how it used to be,” Raph told him, “but we learned the negative result of that way of doing things were two-fold. First, it caused the rest of us to resent Leo for being ‘bossy.’ All we would do is bitch and complain about his plan, which is rather counterproductive. Secondly, it placed the full load of responsibility on Leo’s shoulders and, well, we told you the ultimate outcome of _that_. With all of us contributing and participating in the planning, it leaves less room for complaint since we all have a say, and it reduces the stress on our bro.”

“Besides,” Raphael added, “Leo wouldn’t hear about us remaining quiet after hearing about our carefully thought out plan to rescue him from those rascally Babbots.”

There was a pause when no one said anything, and then Michelangelo groaned roughly. “You didn’t really just say that did you,” he asked, rolling his eyes.

“Hey, what can I say,” Raphael shot back. “It was Babbot season, and we were hunting Babbots.”

This time Leo groaned along with Mike. “That was bad, bro. From now, why don’t you leave the comedy to the Brats?”

“Oh, come on, it wasn’t bad enough you had to insult me like that,” Raphael griped. He looked at his twin. “Was it?”

“For the sake of family accord, you really don’t want me to answer that,” Raph replied.

Raphael just “humphed,” but the relaxed set of his older brother’s shoulders let him know that, if nothing else, his ploy to distract his brother had worked. With a self-satisfied smirk, he just ignored his twin and followed Leo down the hall.


	15. Beginning of the End

The turtles reconvened that evening at ten before eight. For most of them, it was their first time to see the completed battle suit. At first glance it simply looked like someone had taken a Legion bot and enlarged it about five times. However, where the head and torso should be was instead a cockpit where Donatello was getting himself situated. Attached to the suits upper back was a secondary cockpit which controlled the four guns bristling from the “shoulders” of the battle armor.

“I’ll actually control the movement of the exo-suit from here,” Donatello informed his brothers as he applied the leads that would allow him to do just that. “This thing is rather like a virtual environment suit; it will copy my movements almost exactly. Donny is in charge of the firepower; that’s a completely separate system, and he is able to swivel a complete 360 degrees, independent from what I’m doing.”

Leonardo whistled in appreciation at the Geeks’ toy. “And it only took you two days to put this thing together,” he asked them.

“It was mostly assembled already,” Donny told him. “We simply attached the weapons platform and hooked it up to a separate power source, and then finalized the programming for the VE element.”

“Don’t let them downplay their accomplishment too much,” April told the older turtles. “They did in two days what my people haven’t been able to do in over ten years.”

Both of the Geniuses had the grace to look slightly embarrassed at the praise. “Really, it was nothing,” Donatello said. “It was simply that Stockman was using a computer programming code that was brand new in this reality, while we, with our April’s help, of course, had cracked it a while back in our reality. It was just a case of pure luck, that’s all.”

“Well, let’s hope that luck stays with us,” Leonardo said. “We’re going to need it tonight.”

TMNTTMNT

At exactly eight o’clock, the two-pronged mission commenced. April, at the head of a massive resistance group, led the attack against the warehouse where Saki’s transporter was being housed. At the same time, across town, the turtles were beginning their own assault on the Shredder himself. With the exo-suit providing more than ample protection, Donny and Donatello led the attack, as they went in first in order to eliminate the building’s external defenses. A few well-placed shots from Donny, and the defense system was down. The next order of business, therefore, was creating an entrance. Since they weren’t concerned with subtlety, Donny did this gleefully by blasting a massive whole in the side of the building.

“That was fun,” the young Genius said gleefully. “Like one of the Brats’ video games, except in living color.”

“Focus you two, and eyes open, bros,” Leo called to the others. “That was the easy part. From here on out is where things get interesting.”

Sure enough, it didn’t take long before the battle to be going full force. The few humans in Saki’s guard patrol were quickly dispatched, which left only the Legion bots, Karai, and the alien Shredder to be dealt with. As the Legion bots attacked en mass, it quickly became apparent that they were every bit the challenge April had said they were. Even worse, there seemed to be an unending supply of the dratted things. Still, the brothers fought on, slowly but surely making their way deeper into their enemy’s fortress.

After facing the sixth wave of robotic fighters, Raphael was forced to admit Leo had been correct in partnering the brothers up with their doubles. He was able to anticipate is twin’s moves before they happened in a way he wouldn’t have been able to do with any of his other brothers. What’s more, his older counterpart was an experienced enough warrior that he proved quite adept at fighting around is younger versions without getting in their way, or letting them get in his.

While the battle was proving to be a bit more tiresome than Raphael had anticipated, it was, oddly enough, almost a refreshing change from most of the previous skirmishes he and his brothers had been in. Unlike prior battles, this time the brothers didn’t have to pull their blows, or go for the disarm rather than the kill. For all three version of Raphael, it was a relief to be able to let go completely, without fear that Leo or Leonardo would censure them for it.

After what seemed like hours, the turtles finally made their way to the center of the building. There, waiting for them, were the two real targets of the evening’s mission. Karai, despite the silver hair, looked as sleek and deadly as usual. It was the other figure in the large battle suit, however, that drew everyone’s attention. The image April had shown them did nothing to prepare the younger turtles for seeing Saki in his natural form. The slimy, brain-looking alien was enough to turn the strongest turtle’s stomach, but Leo quickly pushed his revulsion aside.

“Donny, Donatello, you’re on,” he called to the pair of turtles in the battle suite. “Keep Saki distracted. Leonardo and I have Karai. The rest of you, keep those Legion bots off our backs!”

Immediately the turtles split up to carry out their tasks. The oldest Michelangelo threw himself unrestrainedly into the fray, the Brats following right behind him. However, their enthusiasm could not keep up with his long pent-up anger, and he quickly outdistanced them. As he attacked the Legion bots, his single nunchuck was an indistinguishable blur, and a robot seemed to go down with each blow of his weapon. Unfortunately, in his single-mindedness the one-armed `turtle did not pay as close attention to his surroundings as he should have, and all at once he found himself surrounded by android Karai lookalikes. Undaunted, he tried his best to get out of the trap, but no matter where he turned, there was another Legion bot in his way.

Out of the corner of his eye, Michelangelo saw a weapon swinging his way, and he tried to dodge. As luck would have it, he was a fraction of second too slow, and though he avoided the killing blow, the blade struck his good arm, making him drop his weapon. Now hurt, bleeding, and disarmed it was all the older turtle could do to avoid the blows being directed at him. The extended fight, as well as blood loss, quickly began to tell on him, however, and his reaction times began to noticeably slow down. Once more he saw a strike coming his way, and though it did not land directly, the hit glanced off his head, sending him crashing to the ground, dazed.

As he waited for the death blow he knew must inevitably be coming, the older turtle could be glad that, if nothing else, he would go to his death knowing that his family had been healed, and that very soon his death would be avenged.


	16. Fight the Good Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has taken so long to get this up. We've been busy the past week with an adoption within the family, and getting people where they need to be to make that happen. Exciting times, but we haven't been sure whether we're going or coming.

As he fought desperately to shake off the blow that had, literally, floored him, Michelangelo knew he was as good as dead. Across the room he could hear Raphael scream his name, but the injured turtle knew his half-blind sibling would never reach him in time, and he wasn’t recovering fast enough to be able to save himself. Above him Michelangelo could hear the quiet whirring of the Legion bots as they moved in to deliver the final blow. Only the strike never came. Instead he heard the undeniable _clang_ of metal striking wood, followed by an oh, so familiar voice saying, “Hands off, robo-bitches.”

It was enough to make the older turtle snort in bemusement, for though the words were completely “Raphael-esque” in nature, they somehow lost something being spoken in Mikey’s warm voice. Any further thought on the subject was pushed aside as a second set of hands began pulling the one-armed turtle to his feet, even as a steady rhythm of _clangs_ indicated that the youngest turtle was keeping the robotic foot soldiers busy.

Once he was upright, Michelangelo turned to find that, unsurprisingly, it was his other young counterpart that was assisting him.

“Easy there, dude,” the younger Michelangelo said, tightening his grip as the wounded turtle swayed slightly. “You’ve been a big enough bone head as it is, going off on your own like that. Trust me; you don’t want to exacerbate the issue by falling on your butt with your bros watching. You’ve already earned one Leo-lecture as it is. Now come one, let’s get to the sidelines; you’re being benched for a little while.

“But your bro—“

“Can handle himself,” the said turtle’s twin replied. “Now, let’s go so I can get back out there before the fun’s all over.”

TMNTTMNT

“Michelangelo,” Raphael screamed as he watched his baby brother go down under the blows of the Legion bots.

“Whoa there, Captain Kirk,” the younger Raphael said, grabbing the older turtle by the arm. “You’d never make it.”

“Besides, the Brats have everything in hand,” Raph added as he parried a blow from the nearest bot. “In any case, we have enough to deal with right here. We can’t afford to allow ourselves to get distracted.”

The one-eyed turtle wanted to argue, but at just that moment his attention was taken up by a pair of katana-wielding bots. By the time he’d dispatched the two androids, Michelangelo had helped his older self up off the floor, and the two were moving toward the edge of the battle where the older turtle could be protected by the Geeks in the battle suit; Mikey was covering their backs.

Taking his first real breath since seeing his brother fall, the oldest Raphael turned to see his younger doubles smirking at him.

“What,” he growled at them, even as e buried a sai in an on coming bot’s torso.

“Nothing,” Raph said. “It’s just—oh, shit!”

“Raph,” said his twin, who was standing facing him, and thus couldn’t see what had disturbed his brother. “What’s wrong?”

“The gasoline just hit the fire” the leather-masked turtle said. “And I’d say an explosion is going to occur at any moment.”

TMNTTMNT

_Just moments before…_

Karai gave the two turtles a look that was almost, but not quite, regretful. “You shouldn’t have come, Leonardo,” she told the older turtle. “You and your little family, at least what remains of it, should have left when you had the chance. Now, I fear, I will have to end your life once and for all.”

“Can the false sorrow, Karai,” Leonardo said darkly. “You made your choice long ago, when you killed my father and injured my brothers and me so grievously. It’s simply pay-back time.”

“If that’s the way it must be,” Karai said, and then she launched herself at him. Leonardo met her charge head on, not once flinching from the attack. 

As the two master swordsmen fought, Leo did his best to keep the Legion bots at bay. He’d step in if it seemed the older turtle needed his help, but when it came down to it, this was Leonardo’s fight. Still, he couldn’t help but be amazed at the older turtle’s skill. Despite his impaired sight, Leonardo still fought like a master. Indeed, it was clear that in spite of his disability, he was still better than Karai.

The fight seemed to be going Leonardo’s way, until the older turtle happened to see his baby brother collapse. “No,” he gasped. Immediately he left off his attack on Karai and attempted to make his way to Michelangelo’s side. Karai, however, had other ideas.

“That one-armed weakling is only first to fall,” she taunted the distraught turtle. Leonardo automatically swung at her in retaliation, but Leo could tell the other turtle had lost his concentration. As a result, the swing was sloppy and ill-timed; Karai easily blocked it. What was more, she had found a way to emotionally defeat her opponent. “Yes,” she all but purred. “The immature brat will go first. Then it will be that one-eyed hothead you insist on keeping as a brother. I shall remove his other eye before I kill him. And then, once the rest of your pathetic little family is dead, I will kill you as well, and present all of your bodies to my master as trophies.”

By this time Leonardo was blinded by both fear for Michelangelo, and a fury unlike anything he had ever felt. Unfortunately, unlike Raphael who was able to use his anger to his advantage, Leonardo became careless in his movements. Karai just smirked, pleased to know she had gotten to her old nemesis. For a long moment, she toyed with him, simply waiting for the right moment to strike. And then she saw it. With a well-timed parry, she knocked Leonardo’s katana from his hand. This she followed up with a lightening quick kick to the plastron that knocked the turtle to his back.

“It’s a pity it has to end this way,” she told Leonardo as she moved in for the killing blow. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen, but when they fall, they fall hard. Goodbye, Leonardo.” With that, she swung her sword with all her might in a swipe that, should it land, would decapitate the downed turtle; except, the blow never had the chance to land. Instead, moving faster that the eye could track, Leo placed himself in front of his fallen counterpart and caught the blow on his own crossed katanas.

“I don’t think so, lady,” he told Karai. “Old school had its chance; now it’s time for some new lessons.”

“Out of the way, imposter,” Karai hissed. “You are little more than a child; stay out of the grown ups’ business or you might get hurt.”

Leo just snorted. “Lady, I’ve taken on bigger and badder than you and won. If anything, compared to me, you’re in the minor leagues.”

“We shall see, then,” Karai replied as she mounted her attack. She was good, Leo had to admit that. She just wasn’t in _his_ league. Though, to be fair, very few individuals, beyond his brothers and Guardians of course, could even come close to matching his skill level. In short order Karai was breathing heavily, being hard pressed to keep up with her younger opponent.

Leo had Karai almost where he wanted her, when he senses a threat approaching from behind. Without a thought, he whirled around to meet the attack from the Legion bot that had somehow escaped the others and snuck up behind him.

With the young turtle distracted, Karai saw her chance. Raising her sword above her head, she swung with all her might. Only, it wasn’t Leo who caught the blunt of the strike. Leonardo, having regained his calm had seen the danger his younger “brother” was in. With a determination that Karai would not hurt anymore of his family, and especially not this young leader that was so important to both families, he threw himself between Karai and Leo. The strike was true, and the blade bit deeply into his plastron.


	17. Unexpecged

“No!”

The cry was almost produced in surround sound as it came from numerous turtles around the room: from Michelangelo from where he was being helped out of the way by the Brats, from Leo who caught the sorely injured turtle as he fell, and from Raphael, who wouldn’t be held back this time from going to his brother’s aid. The few Legion bots that were still intact were no match for the enraged turtle. He simply hit them and kept on going. Karai received the same treatment at the older turtle sought desperately to get to his brother’s side. As he reached his fallen brother’s side, he found Leo propping him up, a field dressing already unpackaged and pressed tightly against the wound.

“Le…Leonardo,” he whispered softly, reaching out a shaky hand to cup his brother’s cheek. “Come on bro, don’t do this. I just got you back; we can’t lose you now.”

Leonardo’s eyes cracked up, and he slowly lifted his hand to place it over the one the brother had on his face. A small smile graced his visage for a brief moment before his eyes sank closed once more.

“No. NO! Leonardo, you have to hang on, bro,” Raphael cried desperately. “We still need you big brother.” Casting about frantically for something, anything to help keep his brother from slipping away, Raphael yanked one of his beloved sais from off his belt. Grabbing his brother’s hand, he pressed the weapon into it, closing the lax fingers around the hilt. “Hang on to this bro,” he said, his voice on the verge of breaking. “Hold on to it, and remember that you still have a family that loves you and needs you here.” He sat a moment longer just staring into his brother’s face, as if he could make him remain alive simply through sheer force of will. Then he grabbed Leonardo’s fallen katana, and turned back to face Karai.

Karai barely had time to recover her sword from where it had fallen to the ground before the one-eyed turtle hit. In a move that was more Monday Night Football than anything Master Splinter had taught him, Raphael tackled Karai and knocked to her to the floor. Her katana went flying out of her hand once more when she hit the ground, allowing Raphael to pin her to the floor. Vision red with rage, Raphael simply began to pound the treacherous little she-devil that had so badly hurt his family over the years.

 _Smack!_ “That was for Master Splinter!” _Smack!_ “That was for Michelangelo’s arm and his innocence!” _Smack!_ “That was for mine and Leo’s eyes!” _Smack!_ “That was for Casey and our home!” _Smack!_ “And that was for every last despicable thing you’ve for your so-called ‘father’!”

“Raphael,” a voice from behind him said, finally breaking through the hazy cloud of anger that had surrounded him. “Bro, just finish her and let it be done.”

Looking down at the bloody and all but unrecognizable features figure beneath him, Raphael felt not even the slightest smidgen of pity. Karai, for all her talk about honor, had been no better than the Shredder himself. Picking up his brother’s weapon Raphael lifted it high over his head before plunging it through Karai’s chest. At that point, reaction set in, and the one-eyed turtle began to shake.

Raph and Raphael both wrapped a support arm around him. “Easy there,” Raph soothed. “Not that I figure you feel guilty for what you just did, but she had it coming to her. Actually, you kinda’ reminded me of Leo when he took out the Shredder from my home dimension.”

The mindless chatter helped the older turtle get his emotions back under control enough to ask, “Leonardo; is he…”

“Still kicking,” Raphael told him. “The Brats and Michelangelo are with him, and Leo and the Geeks are doing their best to keep Shredder from bothering them, but we’re going to need you rational if we’re going to all get out of this alive.”

The older turtle nodded to indicate that he understood what his counterpart was saying, though he didn’t shrug off the comforting grip the two younger turtles had on him as they made their way to where Leo was still desperately doing his best to save their oldest. As Raphael came to kneel besides the two leaders, Leo raised his eyes to meet the other turtle’s gaze.

“The bleeding seems to have stopped, but I’m not so sure that’s a good thing,” he said. “I’m afraid he’s got some internal injuries.”

“So what do we do,” Raphael asked, unable to hide the fear in his voice.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Leo said. “We need Donny and Donatello, but they rather have their hands full at the moment.”

“Not anymore,” a wet, raspy voice said, coming from above them. “Their toy was quite clever, but it wasn’t enough to hold me back for long.”

All the turtles looked up to find the disgusting figure of the alien Shredder looming over them in his menacing battle armor. As his words sank in, Leo looked worriedly toward the far wall to his left where the remains of the Geeks’ battle suit was lying in pieces on the floor. Panics threatened to set in, until the reassuring mental touch of his brothers assured him that, though they were bruised and sore, both Geniuses were fine and were on their way to join their siblings. Relieved, Leo looked back at the revolting alien menace.

“Nice try Saki, or whatever your name really is, but not good enough,” Leo said, smirking at the brain-like creature. “Your defeat is still inevitable.”

“Ha, ha, ha, ha,” the megalomaniac alien guffawed. “Even if all of you were at your full strength, it still would not be enough to defeat me.” And with that, he began to glow with a disgustingly familiar black aura. At least, it was familiar to the seven younger turtles; the two conscious older turtles both took an involuntary step, startled by the transformation.

Raphael looked at Leo. “That’s it,” he told his older brother. “We are not taking you anywhere, anymore. At least not until you start leaving your darkside buddies at home.”

“So, you know what I am,” the darksider hissed. “Good, then maybe you will make this easy on us all and just give up now. I am Krangendore, the Devourer, and you pathetic mortals are no match for me.”

“Not quite, squid-face,” Raph rejoined. “Let’s just say you messed with the wrong family this time.”

By this time, Leo had transferred Leonardo into his brother Raphael’s arms and gained his feet. “Say goodbye, darksider; your reign ends today,” he said as he too began to glow. Except, as the golden aura around him brightened, he began to grow and change. Within seconds, a very familiar blue and gold dragon stood where Leo had once been.

“What the shell,” the one armed Michelangelo exclaimed.

“Chill, bro,” Mikey said. “That’s the ‘secret weapon’ we were talking about earlier.”

“An Avatar,” the darksider growled. “Impossible! Lord Darktide destroyed the last Avatar for this world a long time ago.”

“Guess what, ugly,” Raphael taunted. “Things change.”

And with that, the Leo-dragon charged.


	18. Dragon's Blood

The Leo-dragon roared as he collided with the large glowing alien. Using his front paws to hold on, the blue and gold dragon used his teeth and powerful rear claws to tear at the armor protecting his prey. Extensive gouges and scratches appeared in the black metal panels, but unfortunately nothing vital was hit, and Krangendore was able to grab his attacker by the neck and fling him across the room, sending him crashing into the wall. Large chunks of concrete crashed down around the dragon’s large form, but it seemed he had taken no real harm, for within seconds he was back on his feet. Snarling in fury, the Leo-dragon stood up and shook himself off. Moving far faster, and with far more grace than a creature twenty feet long ought to be able to exhibit, the dragon whirled around and struck the glowing mechanoid with his powerful tail. This time it was Krangendore’s turn to smash into the wall.

As they watched from the “sidelines,” Donny looked at his twin and asked, “Is it just me, or is Leo’s dragon smaller this time?”

“No,” Donatello replied. “I was just thinking the same thing myself. Going on what little evidence we have, seeing as this is only the second time we’ve seen this version of Leo, I can only guess that Leo’s dragon form’s size is proportional to the threat he faces, and the amount of room he has to work with. If you recall, Darktide was much bigger, and they had an entire planet or world, or whatever that place was, with nothing to confine them. The Leo-dragon that time was easily twice the size of this one. On the other hand, Krangendore is a lot smaller, and there’s not a lot of room to maneuver in here.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Raphael cut in, his single eye blazing. “Would one of you geniuses mind filling me in here? I mean, one minute it’s us ten turtles facing off against a freaky alien, and the next thing I know, one of those turtles had turned into a friggin’ dragon, while the freaky alien has gotten even freakier because he’s glowing black, and I’m the only one who seems to be the slightest bit disturbed by all of this!”

“Dude, you really _didn’t_ listen to our family story, did you,” Michelangelo drawled, giving the older turtle a somewhat bemused look. “Okay, turn on your listening ears this time, because I’m going to give as brief a summary as I can. About a month ago, Leo became this honkin’ big good guy with all these cool new abilities. Turning into a dragon just happens to be one of them. Now, he got these cool new powers because this super freaky black glowy-octopus dude named Darktide hired our Shedder to torture Leo to death so that he could eat his heart. Follow me so far? Well, Leo died, except, kind of like one of those suction cup hook thingies you put up in the shower that never actually stick to the wall, death didn’t hang on to Leo for very long. Leo came back, Darktide ran away, we followed; Leo turned into a dragon and kicked his skeletal butt. Got it this time?”

Raphael just blinked at the younger turtle trying to absorb everything he’d just been told. Finally, all he could do was shake his head.

“And I thought my family was messed up,” he said, but his tone was too good natured for any of the others to take offense. The Brats just grinned in response.

Just then, the sound of screeching metal drew everyone’s attention back to the fight. The Leo-dragon had managed to knock Krangendore face first to the floor and pin him there. Sitting on his back, and using his weight to keep him pinned, the dragon was using the claws of his front feet to shred the mechanical body. Already one arm was shorn completely off, and sparks were shooting from the suit’s lacerated back panel.

“No,” came Krangendore’s muffled exclamation. “I refuse to allow some measly, light-serving reptile to defeat me!”

With that, the exo-suit beneath the dragon began to quiver and shake. Just in time, the Leo-dragon launched himself into the air as the suite blew apart revealing the now growing form of Krangendore. The alien had changed from a brain-looking alien, to a writhing mass of tentacles with red glowing eyes.

“Leo, watch out,” Raph cried in alarm as the black, glowing figure shot a hissing, snapping tendril at the hovering dragon. Pulling his wings in close, the Leo-dragon was able to roll beneath the flying tentacle. He wasn’t fast enough, however, to avoid the second tendril, and he roared with pain as the acidic feeler wrapped around his rear left ankle and began to reel him back.

Strain as he might, the powerful dragon could not break the burning grip on his hind foot. Even worse, moments later a second tentacle shot out to grab his other foot, followed closely by a third and fourth, each of which snagged his two front legs. In no time, the Leo-dragon was forced back to the ground, where he was swarmed by countless numbers of burning, writhing feelers.

“No,” Raphael screamed, drawing his Sais and attempting to rush to his brother’s assistance. As the dragon disappeared from sight, an all too familiar screech of agony tore through the room. Raphael, however, found his way blocked.

“Bro, you can’t,” Raph said, putting himself between his twin and the writhing black form. “He’d kill you in an instant.”

“He’s killing Leo **now** ,” Raphael shot back. “That’s darkside poison he’s using. In case you have forgotten, Leo’s vulnerable as hell to that crap! Now let me go!”

“As much I want to, I can’t,” Raph replied, his own helpless anger reflected in his voice. Neither turtle noticed the tears streaming down his face.

Just then, the sounds coming from Krangendore and his trapped prey changed. The remaining turtles turned to watch with heavy hearts to see what new twist was taking place now in this unsettling drama. It took them a minute to realize it was now the murky black figure that was bellowing in anguish. Before anyone could even think to question the change, the reason for the creature’s pain became apparent as a jet of gold flame suddenly shot from the mass of tentacles. Wherever those golden flames hit him, Krangendore burst into flame, and the fire spread rapidly. Oddly enough, nothing else caught fire from the ever-increasing conflagration. In a matter of minutes, all that was left of the former alien darkside dictator was a huge pile of ash, and one clearly exhausted dragon. An exhausted, and obviously pained dragon, for he was covered in raw looking welts where the acidic tentacles had burned his skin.

As his younger brothers swarmed him, the Leo-dragon could only lower his head wearily to the ground as he reveled in the soothing, comforting touches of his siblings. His relief was cut short, however, by a sharp cry from across the room where the older Raphael sat clutching his older brother to his plastron.

“No, no,” Raphael cried out with rising alarm. “Come back! Leonardo! He doesn’t have a pulse! Someone, help! Bro, don’t leave us!”

Even as Donny and Donatello rushed to the distraught turtle’s aid, Leo pushed himself wearily to his feet. There was nothing, he instinctively knew, that his brothers would be able to do to help. The other Leonardo was too badly wounded. There was, however, something _he_ could do.

After allowing his siblings to lay the blind turtle out flat, Leo gently pushed them aside with his massive head.

“Leo, what,” Donatello started to ask, but some new instinct halted the rest of the question. Instead, all of the turtles stepped back to give the dragon room to do what he could.

Ever so gingerly, Leo used the claw of his right foot to create a small cut in the pad of his left foot. As soon as the blood began to well up, Leo gently placed the bloody paw directly on the wound on the oldest turtle’s chest. For a long moment, nothing happened, and Leo began to fear it truly was too late. But gradually, the dying turtle began to glow with a soft golden light. The light increased in intensity until everyone was forced to shield their eyes from it. When at last the light died, and everyone could once again see, they were shocked to see Leonardo, still blind but otherwise healthy and whole, lying but beginning to stir on the ground. It was the unmoving, bloody and burned figure of Leo laying next him that now drew their attention.


	19. Who'd Have Thought?

As the younger turtles rushed to their wounded brother’s side, the older Michelangelo and Raphael went to _their_ miraculously restored older sibling.

“Ah,” Leonardo groaned as his brothers helped him sit up. “What happened, and why the shell aren’t I dead?”

His orange-masked brother gave him an odd smirk and said, “Would you believe me if I said a dragon saved our butts?”

“Mike, this isn’t the time to rediscover your sense of humor,” the sight-challenged turtle growled.

“Bro, as much as it hurts me to say this, Mike’s right,” Raphael confirmed.

“Can I get that in writing,” the one-armed turtle asked.

“Mike,” both of his older brothers groaned, scowling at him, though there was little heat in their voices; it had been far too long since that teasing note had colored their brother’s voice. Ultimately, Raphael turned his attention back to Leonardo.

“I know it sounds like one of Mike’s fantasies, but he ain’t foolin’ with ya’. We really were saved by a dragon,” he told the disbelieving older turtle. He proceeded to describe everything that had taken place.

“So, let me get this straight,” Leonardo said, frowning slightly. “The creature we thought was an alien dictator actually turned out to be an extra-dimensional dictator masquerading as an alien dictator, correct? But we didn’t know this until he started glowing black, at which point Leo turned into a large blue and gold dragon and took him on by himself. Then, when it looks like Leo is winning, this Krangendore creep changes one more time into a glowing black sea anemone with red eyes and acidic tentacles, at which point he completely overwhelms the Leo-turned-dragon. Leo is able, nevertheless, to beat the former alien dictator wannabe by…burning him up? Did I get it all?”

“Well, you missed the part about him cutting himself and using his blood to somehow save your life,” Mike said amicably, “but yeah, other than that you got it all.”

Leonardo just shook his head. “And what did our younger brothers think of all this,” he asked.

“Well, understandably, there were moments that the Menaces seemed like they were going to freak out, but over all they seemed to accept this as run-of-the-mill,” Raphael reported.

“Someone please tell me this is all just a bad dream,” Leonardo groaned, covering his face with his hands. “Two Donatello’s I could live with. Five new turtles from a different dimension? Weird but doable. But dragons? What are we, some kind of comic book or cartoon show?”

“I hate to burst your bubble,” Raphael told him, “but you just have to look at Leo if you want concrete proof. Those tentacles burned the dragon pretty badly, and Leo has the burns to prove it.”

Leonardo automatically swung his head to see what Raphael was looking at. At the sight of the badly burned younger turtle he couldn’t help but cringe. Raising his hands to his brothers he said, “Help me up.”

The two turtles gave him a hand to his feet, and the trio made their way to where the others were gathered around the still unmoving Leo. It was clear from the looks on the Geniuses’ faces that things weren’t looking good.

“Shouldn’t we be able to absorb his wounds,” Raph was asking as the three older turtles walked up.

“I…I don’t think it’s going to work like that,” Donny told him. “I think this stuff is like Darktide’s poison. Remember how he said wounds caused by those like him can’t be healed through our bond? We won’t be able to help.”

The older turtles couldn’t understand the pained looks that crossed the faces of all their younger brothers. Just what did they think they would be able to do anyway? From the looks of things, even if Leo were somehow able to survive the burns themselves, he would be horribly scarred for life. Just then, a mumble from Leo drew everyone’s attention back to the downed turtle.

“What was that Leo,” Donatello asked, leaning in closer so he could hear better.

“Ashes,” Leo muttered so low Donatello almost couldn’t hear him. “Put ‘em on the burns.”

“Are you out of your shell,” Donatello exclaimed, rearing back. “Leo, burns are the dickens to keep from getting infected as it is, and you want me to put ashes on them?”

“No,” Leo groaned, his voice slightly stronger. “Counteracts the acid. Let my Guardians heal the burns.”

Donatello shook his head. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” he grumbled.

“What,” Michelangelo asked his brother, not having been privy to Leo’s request.

“Leo wants us to put Krangendore’s ashes on the burns,” Donatello said, his voice bordering on scornful. “Says it will counteract the acid.”

“Then why aren’t we doing it,” Mikey asked, jumping to his feet.

“Bro, Leo’s body is about 75% covered in burns,” Donatello explained. “We will be lucky if he survives that. We’ll be even luckier if he doesn’t pick up some sort of infection, because burns are notorious for how easily they get infected. The last thing Leo needs is for us to introduce a foreign substance, like those ashes, to his already compromised system.”

“What other choice do we have,” Raph contested. “We don’t exactly have anyplace to wash those burns off anyway. Besides, as you pointed out, that’s darkside acid; it probably wouldn’t wash off anyhow. More to the point, we’ve been playing this whole Avatar/Guardian thing by ear, and doing a whole lot of relying on instinct. If Leo says we need to cover those burns with squid-face’s ashes, then I say we do it; he hasn’t led us wrong yet.”

A long, thin moan from Leo punctuated Raph’s argument.

Michelangelo looked up from where he was holding his big brother’s hand; about the only place on Leo’s body that _wasn’t_ burned. “I hate to dampen this party any further,” he said, his tone urgent, “but I think this stuff is still burning through Leo’s skin. If we don’t do something soon, well, let’s just ‘gross,’ and leave it at that.”

Split between his desire to help his brother however he could, and his fear of injuring him further, Donatello finally nodded that his brothers should collect some of the ashes as Leo had indicated. Donny placed a supporting hand on his shoulder, understanding entirely his twin’s reluctance. As Raphael returned with the first handful of cinders, Donatello was at a loss as to where to tell him to spread it. Finally deciding that the small burns on Leo’s right shoulder were as good a place as any to test Leo’s suggestion, that’s where he had Raphael smear the ash. Almost immediately there was a softening of Leo’s features as the pain noticeably dropped.

“Well strip me of my shell and call me a lizard,” Donatello said as he examined the ash-covered area. “It’s working. It’s beyond any medical or scientific explanation as to why, but the ashes do seem to counteract the acid.”

That’s all it took for everyone to immediately pitch in and bring as much of the remaining ash as they could carry. In no time at all Leo was covered in black ash, the green of his skin all but masked beneath the powdery residue. It was even more explicitly clear that it was working, for all signs of pain had left Leo’s face, and he had dropped off in an exhausted slumber.

“So what do we do now,” Mikey asked as the Menaces immediately took up their familiar guard positions next to the sleeping Leo.

“Right now I suggest we head back to the resistance HQ,” Leonardo said. “We need to check in with April, and your brother needs a safe place to rest.”

“All of us could use some rest,” Raphael told his brother, his single eye not missing the fatigue in both of his brothers’ stances. “Come on, you big lug,” he added, wrapping an arm around Leo’s shoulders. “Let’s go home.”


	20. News and Losses

Using the remains of their battle armor, and some odds and ends abandoned by the remainder of the former despot’s forces, the Geeks were able to piece together a sled-like device to transport the unconscious Leo on. This was, unsurprisingly, pulled by the twin Menaces, which was just as well since they were probably the only ones strong enough to pull it. The older Raphael was helping support Leonardo who, though completely healed, was left absolutely drained by what had happened to him. Donny and Donatello took up positions on either side of the third older turtle, surreptitiously keeping an eye out for any signs of complications from the blow to the head he had taken earlier that evening. As for the Brats, they were bouncing around like a pair of two-year-olds on a caffeine rush.

Fortunately, the trip back to Resistance HQ was an uneventful one, for with three injured, or otherwise incapacitated turtles, and the other seven tired almost beyond their endurance, they would have been an easy target. Still, they made it back without incident. Immediately they headed for the room where the younger turtles had been rooming for the past several days. Leo was settled into bed without once opening his eyes, and Leonardo followed very soon after that.

“I don’t know about the rest of you,” Raph told the others, “but I think I’m going to crawl into bed and sleep for about a week.”

“Why don’t the rest of you get settled,” the oldest Michelangelo suggested. “I want to go check in with April and see how their part of the mission tonight went. Besides, someone should probably tell her that the Shredder is gone.”

“We’ll go with you,” Donny told him, gesturing toward Donatello as he spoke. “April will want to hear how the battle armor worked, and we’d like to see if she was able to get anything of interest off of Saki’s, or rather Krangendore’s, computers.”

Michelangelo shrugged. He knew the two young medically inclined turtles were still worried he might be concussed from the hit he had taken, but he took too much pleasure from their company to argue with them. Besides, their reason for going to see April was just as valid as his. So without another word, the trio left the room, leaving their brothers to get some much-needed rest. It rapidly became clear, though, that no one was going to get any rest while the Brats, who still hadn’t come down off their adrenaline rush, were still around. Finally Raph sent the two youngest turtles off to the makeshift dojo to burn off their excess energy so that the rest of them could relax.

As it turned out, the Brats ran out of energy and returned to the room about the same time Michelangelo and the Geniuses did, but the looks on the faces of the two groups couldn’t have been more different. While the Brats looked tired but still exultant, Donny, Donatello and Michelangelo looked like someone had run over their pet dog.

“Bros, what’s with the long faces,” Raph asked as the two purple accented turtles settled despondently on their improvised bed.

“Do you want the awful news or the depressing news first,” Donatello asked.

His brother considered his face for a moment, then said, “If those are my choices, I’m not sure I want to know either. But since I know you’re going to share anyway, why don’t you give us the depressing news first.”

“Well, April was able to hack into Saki’s computer system,” Donny said. “But what she found wasn’t good. In essence, Earth is pretty much done for. Saki pumped too much pollution into the air and water. Even if they are able to shut all of the factories down now, it won’t matter. Earth will be totally uninhabitable within the next ten years.”

“Whoa, that is a major downer,” Michelangelo said, his young eyes wide with shock. “What are they going to do?”

“Luckily April was able to find this out before they destroyed the transporter, so instead of blowing it up like they had originally planned, the Rebels were able to gain control of it,” Donny reported. “Apparently there are still a few real Utroms left on Earth, and they have promised to help find new homes for what’s left of Earth’s people. Not that there are many of them left either. The pollution hasn’t just hurt the environment; it has killed hoards of people as well.”

“So where does that leave you guys,” Raph asked his older self.

“I’m not sure,” the one-eyed turtle said. “It’s something we’ll have to give some thought to.”

“Okay, if you said that was the depressing news, I’m really not sure I want to hear what you would consider awful news,” Leonardo said. He had been awakened by the talk going on around him.

“April’s dead,” Michelangelo said flatly.

“What?” It was impossible to distinguish any particular voice from that shocked response.

“She had hacked into the computer systems, and they had taken control of the transporter when it happened,” Donatello told them, blinking tears from his eyes. “They were gathering up the prisoners, and one of them tried to get away. He…he…” His voice broke and he couldn’t continue.

“The slimeball shot her,” Michelangelo finished hotly. “A lucky shot, right through the heart. She didn’t even have a chance to fight back.”

By this time, tears were running down everyone’s face; everyone except Michelangelo, that is. The younger turtles, while not as close to this April as their older selves, still felt her loss keenly. Through his tears, Raphael looked as Michelangelo stubbornly refused to let himself mourn April’s death. Remember his brother’s words about how he had been forced to mourn all their earlier losses on his own, the one-eyed turtle moved to his younger brother’s side and wrapped his arms tightly around him.

“It’s okay to let go, Mike,” he whispered softly, rubbing his brother’s shell. “It’s okay to be sad and angry, and it’s okay to cry. You’re not alone this time. So go ahead, let it out. I’m right here.”

“We’re right here,” Leonardo corrected as he, too, wrapped his arms around his youngest brother. Like a dam finally giving way, Michelangelo collapsed, trusting his brothers to catch him. They did, and the small family held tight to each other as, together, they mourned this latest, and somehow most crushing, loss.

A while later, after the emotional storm had passed, all nine of the wakeful turtles settled down on the bed. It was an odd turn of events to see the Brats soothing their respective older brothers, but their natural empathy had made them unable to keep away from the obviously suffering Donny and Donatello. Raph and Raphael were seated on each side of the still sleeping Leo, while the three oldest turtles were huddled together.

“I’ll just say this before we drop the subject,” Donatello said. “At least she didn’t suffer. She probably didn’t even feel it.”

“And she’s with Casey again,” Donny added. “She never said anything, but you could tell she missed him terribly.”

“I just wish I knew where that left us,” Michelangelo said from where he was sandwiched between his older brothers. “If April were still here, I think we would just go wherever she went when we finally have to leave Earth. As it is, I don’t think I could start over without her.”

“I know what you mean,” Raphael added. “I…I just wish we could find someplace where we didn’t have to fight anymore. I don’t know about you two,” he looked and Michelangelo and Leonardo, “but I’m tired of fighting. We still have quite a few good years left, and I’d like to spend them living in peace.”

Something about his words made Raph, Donny, and Mikey look at each other.

“Do you think,” Donny asked.

“It would be worth a try,” Raph replied.

“What are you two talking about,” Raphael demanded, his single eye narrowing in suspicion.

“We might have a solution to your current housing needs,” Mikey told him with a grin. “We’ll just need to check with Leader Mine over there when he wakes up.”

“Somehow, I don’t think going back with you would be the best option,” Leonardo said.

“Oh, I wasn’t thinking about taking you home with us, though you’d be more than welcome,” Donny said. “But I don’t want to say much more than that until I know for sure that Leo can do what I’m thinking.”

“Then I suggest we shut our mouths,” Raphael grumped, glowering at his twin and younger brothers, “and get some shut eye.”

The nine turtles hastily found comfortable positions around the room, and in no time at all, they were all sound asleep.


	21. An Offer

When Michelangelo awoke the next morning, the pain of April’s death was still present, but it didn’t weight on him nearly as heavily as it might have. Largely, he figured to himself, because of the two turtles pressed closely against him. Life was so much easier to take when your bros were by your side. Lazily the one-armed turtle scanned the room. From what he could see, all the others were still sounds asleep. And then he caught sight of Leo. Sitting up so fast he woke his two sleeping brothers, Michelangelo could only stare at the younger turtle.

“What the shell,” Raphael groaned as he sat up and rubbed his good eye. “Michelangelo, are you trying to make me hurt you?”

Ignoring his brother’s grumbling, Michelangelo said, “Bros, something weird is going on here. Look at Leo and tell me I’m not seeing things.”

The two other turtles turned to look at the young leader, and all at once their fatigue was forgotten as well. When they had tucked the younger turtle into bed the night before, severe acid burns had covered the majority of the youngster’s body. With a good portion of the ash that had covered him from head to foot rubbed off in the night, it was now revealed that a good portion of those burns looked several months healed. In many places, the least serious of the burns were nearly gone completely.

“No way,” Raphael muttered. “I gotta be dreamin’. No way he’s that healed overnight.”

“Then we’re all having the same dream,” Michelangelo told him, “because I’m seeing it too.”

“How can this be,” Leonardo murmured. “Last night I’d have sworn he was going to be scarred for life. If this keeps up, he’ll be back to normal within a few days.”

“I think our younger brothers have some explaining to do when they wake up,” Raphael said as he and his own siblings settled back down. “And this is one explanation I can’t wait to hear.”

TMNTTMTN

The older turtles didn’t get the chance to corner their younger selves until well after breakfast. They had just returned to their shared room where the Geniuses were helping Leo wash the remainder of the ash off so that they could do a more thorough examination of his wounds.

“Well Leo,” Donatello said as he and Donny finished their exam. “Looks like your instincts were right on the money yet again. There’s no sign of any lingering acid, and these burns are well on their way to being healed.”

“About that,” Leonardo said. “Someone care to explain? Not just about this,” he gestured towards Leo, “but about why I’m not dead? Not that I’m complaining.”

The younger turtles looked at each, and then at Leo. At his nod, Donny turned back to the older turtles. “We told you about what happened with Leo when the Shredder tortured him to death a while back. Well, one of the requirements for this ‘Avatar of the Light’ deal is that the Avatar has to have an even number of Guardians. These Guardians, from what we’ve been able to gather, are meant to watch the Avatar’s back, and provide the extra strength and support he or she needs in order to fulfill his duty. Part and parcel with that is an empathic bond between the Avatar, and all of his or her Guardians.”

“That’s how I knew the Geeks were okay yesterday after Saki, or rather Krangendore, threw them into that wall,” Leo interjected. “I could feel that they were okay through our bond.”

“Anyway,” Donatello continued, “also due to that bond, all of us are stronger and faster, _and_ we have the ability to heal normal wounds at a greatly accelerated rate.”

“If you knew about this, then why all the worry yesterday,” Raphael asked.

“Because wounds caused by darkside weapons, such as that acid yesterday, _aren’t_ supposed to be susceptible to our bond,” Donny explained. “We almost lost Leo to a darkside poison because it couldn’t be healed through our bond.”

“So why _did_ it work,” Michelangelo asked.

“To be totally honest, I’m not sure,” Donatello admitted.

“Because the wounds were caused in this dimension,” Leo supplied, drawing all eyes towards him. “It’s rather like that whip Saki used on me. That was actually one of Darktide’s tentacles. However, because it was used on me in our dimension, the wounds it caused could be healed through our bond. In fact, the only reason the poison was activated in the first place is because we stepped outside our own dimension. If we hadn’t had to chase after Darktide, the poison would have been neutralized by our bond as well. Darktide knew that, and that’s partly why he grabbed Raph, Mikey, and Donny. He knew the poison would activate if I left my own dimension, and I think he was hoping it would incapacitate me fast enough that he could finish what he had started.”

“So what you’re saying is you’re basically invulnerable,” Michelangelo stated.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Leo countered. “Immediately mortal wounds, like getting stabbed through the heart or the like, will still kill us. Similarly, if too many of us get seriously injured, the bond won’t work.”

“Still doesn’t stop you from pulling stupid stunts,” Leo’s Raphael muttered.

Leo gave his two immediate younger brothers a repentant look. “I promise that wasn’t in my plan. Unfortunately, the dragon seems to have a mind of his own, and he knew the only way to destroy Krangendore was to burn him from the inside out. I swear, if I had known what he was planning ahead of time I’d have given you a heads up.”

Only slightly mollified by his brother’s regret, Raphael said, “I’m thinking we’re not the only ones who still have a lot to learn about all the consequences of this Avatar business.”

“Agreed,” Leo replied. “It is definitely something I will be taking up with Master Splinter when we return home. Speaking of which,” he looked to the older turtles, “what are your plans now. Donny and Donatello filled me in on what they learned last night.”

“I don’t know,” Leonardo answered. “As we told the others last night, if April were still alive, we probably would simply go wherever she went. With her gone I’m not sure what we’ll do.”

“See, now, we might have the answer to that,” Mikey said. The rest of the turtles turned to look at him in curiosity. “Raph, Donny, and I were thinking, and we all agree, that maybe you three,” he motioned to the older turtles, “might like to go to our old home. The Lair is still intact there, so you’d have a place to live.”

“That’s right,” Raph added. “And it would be peaceful. That’s one of the things the Bridger told us before she brought us across. With our Shredder and Stockman dead, she said our world was a safe one. We certainly don’t need the space anymore, and we wouldn’t mind if you wanted to move in.”

“So what do you say,” Donny asked the trio of senior turtles. “If Leo can get you there, would you like to go?”

“I…I’m not sure,” Leonardo stuttered, looking at his own brothers in shock. “We’d have to think about it.”

“Well you’ve got a couple of days to consider it,” Donny said. “It will be at least three days before Leo’s up to any trans-dimensional travel. You three talk it over and let us know.”


	22. A Ghostly Encounter

Three days later Leo was finally given a clean bill of health. To the three older turtles’ complete amazement there was no remaining sign that the young leader had ever been injured in the first place.

“It’s unbelievable,” Raphael told Leo as he scrutinized his now practically unblemished shell. “I wouldn’t believe if I hadn’t seen it with my own eye.”

“Trust me,” Leo replied. “I find it almost as hard to believe as you do, and I’m the one who has lived through it.”

“So, now that Leo’s healed, have you guys given any further thought to our offer,” Mikey asked the older trio. His brothers could only shake their heads at his bluntness, and Raphael smacked him upside the head. “What,” Mikey whine, rubbing the offended spot. “I was just curious if they had considered it.”

“Actually, we have,” Leonardo said, thus saving Mikey from another smack. “And we’re going to take you up on your offer. It’s just…” He trailed off into silence.

“It’s just what,” Leo asked softly.

“I just wish we knew for certain what happened to our Donatello,” Michelangelo filled in. “I think we always just assumed Saki or Karai was somehow behind his disappearance, but there’s nothing in any of the files the Resistance was able to collect that supports that. We’re not even sure that he’s dead; I mean the body of a four plus foot tall mutant turtle would have made the news if it had turned up somewhere.”

“But the only alternative is that he just up and left,” Raphael concluded. “And I refuse to believe that. Don wouldn’t have done that to us.”

“You know, I may be able to help,” Leo told the older turtles. “If nothing else, I think I can find out if your brother is dead or not. And who knows, maybe we can figure out just what happened to him.”

“You had better not be messin’ with us,” Raphael growled. 

This of course set off Leo’s Raphael, who got in his older double’s face and snarled, “Hey, if Leo says he might be able to help, then he can. So just back off!”

Leo looked at Leonardo and sighed. “It was too good to last,” he said. “Two hot heads together for an extended period of time? It was an explosion waiting to happen.” Leonardo simply returned his rueful grin.

“Were you serious about being able to help,” Michelangelo asked, restrained hope glimmering in his eyes.

“I don’t know what answers I’ll be able to provide,” Leo told him. “But I’m pretty sure I can answer the question of whether or not your Donatello is dead.”

“Well, then, what do we need to do,” Mike asked, almost bouncing in anticipation.

“I hate to ask this, but we need to go back to your old Lair,” Leo said. “Back to where this all began.”

TMNTTMNT

Three hours later, the seven turtles found themselves in the ruined, abandoned Lair. For the first little while, no one said a word as the three older turtles wandered about their derelict former home, silently reminiscing, and saying goodbyes that had been too long in coming. Finally, once the worst of their ghosts had been laid to rest, they rejoined the younger turtles where they were sitting in a circle in the center of the main room.

“Come have a seat,” Leo instructed them. “Oh, and things are about to get a little weird, so try not to freak out.”

Before any of the older turtles could ask just what _that_ meant, Leo had closed his eyes in apparent concentration. His meaning was made abundantly clear when, just seconds later, a new figure appeared in the room. A new figure that was rather transparent, floated about two feet off the floor, and looked incredibly like a much younger Leonardo. Sounded like him, too.

“Where the shell you been,” the floating turtle all but shouted at Leo and his brothers. “I have been looking all over for you lot. First I get word that the Geniuses have disappeared, but no sooner do I get in the middle of searching for them when I sense the rest of you disappear as well. So of course I hightailed it back to your Master Splinter, only to be told you’ve gone gallivanting across dimensions. What the shell were you thinking?”

“Chill, junior,” Raphael told his twin’s older brother. “We had things well in hand.”

“You might have known that,” young Leo snapped back, “but I certainly didn’t.”

“For which we apologize,” Leo told him. “And maybe later you and I can sit down and work something out should a situation like this arise in the future. But right now, we have another matter we need your help with.”

The two Leo’s looked each other in the eye. Finally, the young phantom sighed. “Very well,” he said. “How can I help?”

Leo motioned toward the three dumbstruck older turtles. “About thirty years ago, their Donatello disappeared. There has been no sign of him here. They wish to know if he has passed over to the other side.”

The ghost cocked his head as he studied the older turtles for a moment. Then he gave them a small, sad smile. “I understand your pain. It shouldn’t take much to find out of he’s on my side. Wait here; this won’t take long.” And then he was gone.

Michelangelo turned wide eyes to Leo. “That…that was a ghost,” he stuttered.

“More than that,” Mikey told him glibly. “That was the ghost of _our_ Leonardo. He’s the family ghost now. Still haven’t convinced him to move into the Lair yet, though.”

Raphael just shook his head in consternation at the younger turtle’s remark. “I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. You have got the strangest family I have ever seen.”

“Well don’t look now, dude, but you’ve been adopted,” the young Michelangelo told him. “You’re part of that family.”

The three older turtles shot each other startled, and rather alarmed, looks. That made Donny and Donatello laugh. “Relax,” Donny told them. “We’ll get you settled in our old home and you won’t have to worry about our unusual family more than once to twice a year.”

“Once or twice a year,” Leonardo asked in a voice that was an odd mix of strangled relief.

“What, did you think we were just going to drop you guys off and leave it at that,” Raph asked. “Sorry, that ain’t the way this family plays.”

“Besides, Donny and I have some idea about ways we can help with your…disabilities,” Donatello said. “Just a couple of ideas we’ve been tossing around since our last run in with Shredder.”

Before Leonardo could ask just what the two Geniuses had in mind, there was a small flash of light, and the young Leonardo was back.

“Well, I’ve got good news and disturbing news,” he said without preamble.

“It’s been a rough couple of days,” the leather-masked Raphael drawled. “Why don’t you start with the good news?”

“Well, the Donatello of this dimension isn’t dead,” the ghost said.

“Okay, if that’s the good news, then what’s the disturbing news,” the older Raphael asked, his lone eye narrowing.

“He’s kind of…stuck.”

“What the shell does that mean,” Raphael exploded. “Where is he ‘stuck’?”

“Maybe stuck isn’t the best term,” the ghost said. “It’s more like he’s trapped.”

“Where. Is. He,” Raphael growled, taking a threatening step toward the young spirit.

Rather than answering the older turtle directly, the young phantom turned to look at Leo. Without him saying a word, Leo knew where the other Donatello was. Groaning, he rubbed his suddenly tired eyes.

“Leo,” Raph asked in concern.

“He’s in the Between,” Leo said. “You remember that ‘sewer tunnel’ you found yourselves in when you tried to follow our bond across to where I was? Well, somehow Donatello has managed to get himself stuck there.”

“More like someone locked him in,” the younger Leonardo said. “Someone purposely put him there, and then sealed it off so that unless you were purposely looking for him, no one would ever know Donatello was there.”

“So why didn’t you let him out,” the older Michelangelo growled.

“Because _I_ can’t,” the ghost snapped back.

This time it was the younger turtles who groaned.

“Let me guess,” Donny said. “You’re going to need Leo.”

“I’m afraid so,” the specter said regretfully. “It’s going to take his power as an Avatar to get through the barrier.”

“Let me ask this,” Raph said. “Is he going to be in any danger from this? We just got him healed up from his last Avatar job.”

“I can’t promise anything,” the shade replied. “But there shouldn’t be any danger for him.”

“Fine,” Raphael groused, clearly not happy at this most current turn of event. “Let’s get this done.”

“Wait,” Leo told his brothers. “While I appreciate that you and the others want to watch my back, but I think you need to sit this one out.”

“You are not going across by yourself,” Raphael told him firmly.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Leo told him. “But there are three other turtles here that would be more than capable of watching my back. Besides, it’s their brother we are going to rescue. Put yourself in their place; would you want anyone else going after your brother?”

Raphael scowled at his older brother, but Leo had a point. Heaving a sigh he said, “Fine. We’ll stay here. But you come back with the slightest scratch, and we will have words.” The way he was fingering his weapons told Leo just what kind of “talking” would be involved.

“I think they understand,” he told his defender with a grin. Then he turned to the older turtles. “Shall we?”


	23. Reunion

In the time between one breath and the next, the three older turtles found themselves standing in a very familiar looking sewer tunnel. At first, none of them was certain they had actually gone anywhere.

“Weird isn’t it,” Leo asked them with a grin. “And somehow a little unnerving. It looks like we could be just about anywhere in the sewers, but there’s something about it at the same time that tells you that you couldn’t be farther from home if you tried.”

“So why did your brother act like this is the last place they wanted you to be,” Michelangelo asked as he curiously trailed a finger of the slime coated walls.

“Probably because the last three times any of us has been here, I’ve pretty much been dead,” Leo said deadpan. When the others grimaced Leo laughed. “Yeah, that’s pretty much their reaction, too.”

“So which way do we go,” Raphael asked.

“This way,” young Leonardo said as he abruptly appeared, startling the older turtle. The ghost, who looked a lot more solid in this dimension, took off toward the left, the others following close behind.

“So,” Michelangelo started as the silence began to get to him. “Leo, your brothers said you guys would probably be visiting us once we got settled in our new home. Does that mean the invitation works in reverse, too?”

“Of course,” Leo told him. “You’re always welcome in our home. Which reminds me; let me see your weapons for a minute?”

The one armed turtle pulled his single weapon out and handed it over without question. Leo held it for a few second, a look of intense concentration on his face. Without warning, the nunchuck began to glow with a soft golden light. Minutes later Raphael and Leonardo’s weapons received similar treatment.

“Okay,” Michelangelo said slowly. “What was that all about?”

“Since I’m sure the term ‘portkey’ won’t make any sense to you,” Leo said with a small grin, “let’s just say I just created a way for you to travel from wherever you might be, to my home dimension. All you have to do in order to activate them is touch your weapon and say ‘take me to Leo’. If you do that, a portal will open allowing you through to the Lair in my world. Now, once you get settled in your new home, I’ll set up a way for you to use them to return there too.. Once we find Donatello, I’ll of course do the same for him.”

They traveled in silence for a few more minutes when Raphael spoke up. “Hey, do you think Don’s going to be okay?” There was genuine worry in his voice. “I mean, thirty years alone is a long time, even for a solitude-inclined turtle like Don.”

“Let’s just come out and say it plainly,” Leonardo said. “What if Don’s gone crazy? What are going to do?”

“Take him, of course,” Michelangelo said. “Assuming he lets us. I mean, he’s still our brother.”

“But what if there’s no lucidity at all,” Raphael pushed. “What he’s become more animal than sentient?”

Leonardo’s eyes were sad but resolute as he said, fingering his katana, “Then I’ll do what I have to. Don wouldn’t want to be left like that.”

“No you won’t,” the ghostly Leonardo interrupted. “If it comes to that, _I_ can do the deed. It will be immediate and painless. He will simply complete his transition between this dimension and the next world.” He looked at the older turtles. “If your Don is anything like either of mine, he wouldn’t want that scar on any of your souls.”

“Hey,” Leo protested. “Let’s actually free your brother before you go deciding to put him down. I would be willing to put money down on your Don being sane and well. But let’s find him and get him out before you make any decisions, huh? Now, ‘Junior,’ how much farther?”

Although the younger turtle grimaced at being referred to as “Junior,” he simply said, “It’s just ahead. In fact, you should be able to sense the barrier any minute now.”

Two more steps and Leo could do just that. He no longer need their guide’s help in locating where the third Donatello was trapped; the pulsing dark power that made up the trap was like a beacon to his Avatar senses. Leo scowled as he approached the unseen barrier. Something about the psychic scent that tainted that barrier was familiar; Leo just couldn’t place it. Calling upon his new inner power, Leo began to glow with the same soft golden glow that his the older turtles’ weapons had displayed after he was done with them earlier.

He laid a gentle hand on the barrier, which was now visible, at least to him. To his satisfaction, the dark power flickered and retreated from his touch. Smiling slightly he gave a firm push, and his arm passed through the obstruction. Sensing nothing threatening on the other side, Leo stepped through the invisible wall, giving no heed to the distressed calls of the turtles behind him.

TMNTTMNT

The room Leo found himself in on the other side of that invisible wall looked nearly identical to the Geniuses’ lab back home, only on a much larger scale. And then Leo saw _him_. The older turtle was sitting with his back to Leo as he hunched over a table where he was thoroughly absorbed in whatever he was doing. As Leo drew closer he could hear the other turtle muttering to himself.

Unsure how this newest brother would react to his presence, Leo tried to brace himself for any sort of response as he softly said, “Donatello?”

The older turtle jumped as Leo’s voice startled him, and he whirled around to look at Leo, his eyes wide in surprise. The two turtles simply stared at each other for long moment, and then a blinding smile came over Donatello’s face.

“Leonardo,” he exclaimed. “Brother, it has been to long! Oh, I can’t believe you’re here.”

“It’s great to see you too,” Leo spluttered, rather surprised by the other turtle’s warm, and unexpectedly calm, greeting. He had been expecting something a little more…emotional? “But, I’m not exactly…”

“My Leonardo,” Donatello finished for him in a rush. “Of course not. You are much too young to be my brother. It has been thirty years after all. Still, still, it is good to see you.”

Suddenly it struck Leo what was going on with the Donatello before him. The quickness of his speech, and the almost jittery movements of his hands finally registered with the young Avatar: Donatello was scared and was doing his best to hide that fact. Having been in a somewhat similar situation, it didn’t take much for Leo to figure out just what had the older turtle so unsettled. Moving to stand in front of the jittery turtle, Leo placed hands on Donatello’s shoulders and stilled his nervous motion for moment.

“Don, it’ okay,” Leo said reassuringly. “I’m real. I’m not a figment of your imagination. I’m going to get you out of here.”

At last, Donatello went still, and finally the emotion Leo had been expecting all along began to fill his eyes. “It’s been…a very long time,” Donatello said hoarsely. Then his eyes widened in obvious distress. “Oh, no,” me moaned. “You shouldn’t have come for me. Now you’re stuck here, too.”

“Not quite,” Leo said with a small smile. “Is there anything you need to grab before we leave?”

“Just this,” the purple-clad turtle said as he tucked his Bo into its accustomed place in his belt.

“What about all of this,” Leo asked, gesturing toward the equation-covered blackboards that were scattered around the room.

“Oh, that’s all going with me,” Donatello said with a small smile of his own. “It’s all in here.” He tapped his head. “After thirty years, I’ve got it all pretty much memorized. Not much else to do around here.” That last part was said quietly, almost to himself.

“Well then, we should get going,” Leo said, purposefully ignoring that last quiet statement. That was something Don’s own brothers would have to help me with. He led the older turtle back to the invisible wall that blocked their exit. This time, however, Leo drew his katanas. They began to glow as he fed a bit of his power through them. With a powerful cross slash, Leo eradicated the barrier. In that instant the familiar surroundings of Don’s lab were replaced by the equally familiar backdrop of the sewer tunnel. And there, waiting for him, were four very angry turtles.

As he came face-to-face with the four irate figures, Leo could only grin sheepishly.

“You,” Raphael growled as he closed in on the younger turtle, never noticing his shocked younger brother standing beside the object of his ire. “No wonder your brothers freak out over you. What the shell were you thinking!?”

Leo was saved from having to answer by Don’s stunned, “Raph?”

Responding automatically to his name, the angry turtle turned toward the speaker. His single eye went wide as he slowly recognized the second figure before him. “Don…Donatello,” he asked in a strangled whisper.

Before his brother could do more than nod mutely, he found himself with an armful of sobbing younger brother, for Michelangelo had launched himself at Don as soon as he realized it really was his brother standing there. Seconds later it was hard to determine where one turtle ended and another began as the four siblings were at long last reunited. Leo felt himself grow misty eyed at the clearly joyful reunion.

Eventually the knot of turtles broke apart, though none of his brothers really got beyond touching distance of Don.

“Bro, we have missed you,” Mike said fervently. 

“Me, too,” Donatello responded. “More than words can describe.”

“Don, what happened,” Leonardo asked, voicing the question that had haunted him and his brothers all those decades.

“I’ll tell you everything,” Don vowed, “but first, could we go home? I’ve been waiting a long time for this day.”

“Done,” Leo said, and the sewer tunnel faded away into darkness.


	24. What Happened

“Raphael, would you please sit down,” Donatello asked with tolerant frustration. “You’re making me nauseous.”

“Then look someplace else,” his older brother growled as he made yet another circuit around the litter-strewn Lair.

“Whoa, chill dude,” Mikey cut in. “ What’s with the pre-Leo attitude?”

“He’s been gone for 3 hours,” Raphael exploded, whirling around to face his youngest brother. “What the shell could they be doing that would take 3 hours?”

“Easy there, bro,” Donny said. “You know time works differently there. For them it has probably been far less time.”

“Give it up guys,” Raph told them when his twin merely growled at the younger genius. “It’s not how they’ve been gone that has Menace, Sr. snapping and snarling. It’s the fact that Leo made us stay behind.”

Donatello rolled his eyes at his second oldest brother. “Our senior selves have managed keep themselves alive for over five decades, despite horrific circumstances,” he commented. “I think they can look after Leo for a few hours.”

“Oh, yeah, let’s trust the stubborn, cynical, and semi-suicidal trio to keep our brother safe, since they did such a good job looking out for each other,” Raphael snorted derisively.

Before any of the other could chide Raphael for his less than polite summation of the three oldest turtles, a very welcome voice ordered, “Raphael, apologize; now!”

The red-masked turtle turned to glare at Leo, only to be met with Leo’s own “I –am-serious-and-not-to-be-messed-with” scowl. When Raphael continued to remain obstinately silent, Leo decided to change tactics. “Fine,” he said. “Then you’ll have no grounds to pounce on me for my own thoughtless actions during our rescue of the other Donatello.”

“What did you—“Raphael started to bellow, but Leo cut him off.

“Uh-uh,” Leo told him. “Apologize first, and then I’ll let you complain to your heart’s content about how idiotic I was.”

“Fine,” Raphael told him. He turned to face the three—no, wait, four older turtles. “I’m sorry.” There was no mistaking the lack of sincerity in his voice. Then he turned back glare at his older sibling. “There. You happy now?”

Leo’s reply was lost in the whimper of distress the newly returned turtle couldn’t hold back at seeing the state of his former home. “I knew the Lair had been trashed, but I wasn’t expecting the damage to be so extensive.”

“This is nothing,” Mikey told him. “Just wait until you see what’s happened topside. Ow!” He turned to glower at Donny, who has slapped him upside the back of his head. “What did you do that for?”

Donny just ignored him. “Sorry,” he told his older self. “As you can see, our baby brother still hasn’t installed the filter between his brain and his mouth, so sometimes things come flowing out without him stopping to think about what he’s saying.”

“It’s alright,” Don told him. “Believe it or not, I’ve missed that.”

“What? You missed Mikey being a moron,” Raphael asked, his tone suggesting he couldn’t believe anyone could miss such a thing. Then a diabolical light filled his eyes and he said, “Well, in that case why don’t you keep one of them to help you catch up? After all, we have two.”

As both Mikey and Michelangelo protested loudly, Don could only chuckle and shake his head at the younger turtle’s suggestion. Raphael, his goal of putting the visibly distressed turtle at ease clearly accomplished, just grinned back. “On second thought,” he said, “You’re going to have your hands full with your own bro; it wouldn’t be fair to overburden you just yet. Maybe in a couple of years…”

“Are you done,” the one-eyed Raphael asked, scowling at the two younger turtles. “We’ve only been waiting thirty years to find out what happened to our bro.”

“Calm down, Captain Uptight,” Raphael told him coolly. “Give your brother a moment to adjust; his world has been turned upside down; again. Or right side up, depending on how you look at it. Trust me, I’ve been in your shoes before, and everything will be much better off if you don’t push so hard.”

“No, it’s okay,” Don said. “My brothers deserve to know what happened. After all, it had a huge impact on them, too.”

“Are you sure you want to do this here,” Leo asked, “or would you rather go someplace relatively more comfortable?”

Don looked around the destroyed Lair and said, “No, somehow I think this is the appropriate setting for this story. After all, this is where it all started. Why don’t we all take a seat, and I’ll tell you my story?”

Once everyone was sitting, Leo sandwiched between the Menaces, Don began his tale. “It was late one evening. I was working in my lab when I realized I was missing a crucial piece I needed for the machine I was working on. I was going to ask one of my brothers to make the run to the dump with me, but Raphael and Leonardo were arguing once again, and Mike was thoroughly involved in one video game or another, so I decided to go on my own. After all, I didn’t figure I would be gone long, and the part I needed wouldn’t be hard to find.” 

At this point, Don looked at his siblings, and seeing the visible guilt on their faces he hastened to reassure them. “No, no, don’t feel bad. The fault doesn’t belong to any of you. I made the choice not to interrupt Raphael and Leo, or to drag Mike away from his game. I could have done either. Besides, I don’t think it would have mattered. You see, I was halfway to the dump when I was confronted by the freakiest looking…female, I guess she was, that I have ever seen. She was tall; really tall. And skinny. I don’t think she had any fat at all; she almost looked like a skin-covered skeleton.”

The seven younger turtles looked at each other at the familiar description. “Let me guess,” Donny said. “She had a mouth full of sharp teeth, red eyes, claws, and had a snake-like way of dragging out her S’s.” 

“That would be her,” Don confirmed. “You know her I’m guessing.”

“Her name was Malatempa,” Raph explained. “We had a little run in with her in our world. Actually, it’s because of her that our bro’s ended up here.”

“Can I assume, from your use of the past tense, that this freak is no longer a threat,” the sightless Leonardo asked.

“Yep. She’s no longer a threat. Leo took that b—“

“Raphael,” Leo scolded. “Watch the language.”

“Fine,” Raphael said, rolling his eyes at his brother. “Leo took that _Witch with a capital B_ down. She’s not going to be bothering anyone again.”

“Thank goodness,” Don said with heartfelt relief. “It was clear that there was no way I was going to win a fight against her, so I tried for a tactical retreat, but boy was she fast. She grabbed me before I got two steps away. She said she had been sent by her master to get rid of me. However, she couldn’t kill me because the ‘light-siders’ would sense her interference and stop her, so she had a different plan. Rather than kill me, she was going to imprison me right under their noses. She waved her hand, and we appeared in that alternate sewer where Leo and the others found me. She made sure I knew that the energy barrier was impassable, and then she just left me there. For the longest time, I was afraid I was going to starve to death, or die of dehydration. It took a while to figure out that something about that place made my physical needs obsolete.”

“How did you keep from going crazy,” Mike asked his brother, his horror apparent in his voice.

“At first I thought I would,” Don said. “I mean, I was trapped in an empty room with no way out. I had no way of tracking time, or even knowing how long I’d been there. Anyway, one day I simply wished for chalk and a chalkboard, simply as a way of keeping my hands and mind busy. And just that easily, there it was. There were limits to what I could create, but I quickly learned that simply thinking hard enough about something usually made it appear. Let’s just say I got a lot of theoretical mathematics done while I was locked in that place. And then I discovered that damn mirror.”

“What mirror was that,” Mikey asked softly after no one else said anything for a moment.

Don took a deep breath. “The mirror that let me see what was going on here. That dreadful mirror that allowed to watch my family fall apart, but left me helpless to prevent it.”


	25. Blame Game

“Wait a minute,” Leonardo said as he moved closer to his visibly miserable younger brother. “You’re saying that you saw—“

“Everything,” Don said. “The attack on the Lair, what was done to you three, Master Splinter’s death; all of it. All I could do was watch as everything fell apart, and there was nothing I could do about it.”

This time, Leonardo didn’t need his younger self to hint at what his next move should be. Instead, he simply enfolded his younger brother in a tight hug and began to rub his shell soothingly. “Shh, Don,” he whispered. “Like you said, there was nothing you could do. And I’m betting that mirror was simply meant as a way to torture you.”

“But I should have been here,” Don countered. “Maybe if I’d been here, things wouldn’t have gotten so bad.”

“And maybe you’d have been killed, or things would have changed, and one of us would have been killed instead,” his one-armed sibling countered. “I know from personal experience that ‘maybe’s’ and ‘what if’s’ don’t do anything but make you miserable, bro. Trust me. Besides, the way I see it, things didn’t turn out too badly.”

“Didn’t turn out too badly,” Don spluttered. “You’re missing an arm, Raph and Leo are half-blind, our father is dead, April is dead, and our world is going to be extinct inside ten years! How can you say things didn’t turn out too badly?”

“Because, in the end, we still have each other,” Raph said, his single eye glowing with fierce emotion. “And not only that, but we have a chance at a new life, while our family has nearly tripled in size.” He looked at where the seven younger turtles were sitting in respectful silence. “If I had to choose between losing all that I’ve lost, and losing one of my bros, I would choose my losses every time. So stop feeling so damn guilty!”

“Besides,” Leo said, speaking for the first time, “if anyone is to blame for what happened to your family, it’s me. Malatempa, that crazy whatever she was, did this as a means to punish me for trapping her boss.”

That caught Don’s attention, for he couldn’t quite follow the logic in that line of thought. “What would my disappearance have to do with you?”

“Simple,” Leo said. “She set up the destruction of your world as a part of her greater plan to destroy _my_ family. I certainly don’t think she intended to get herself killed when she came up against us in my dimension. If things had worked her way, all of my brothers would have been sent to different dimensions where they would either be killed or trapped, leaving me helpless and alone.”

Raph snorted. “Alone, yes,” he told his big brother. “Helpless? What universe are you living in?”

“In any case,” Leo said, ignoring the warming of his face from his brother’s compliment. “Donatello was intended to die here. If he had come through on his own, I very much doubt I would have been able to locate him, much less follow him here. It was only because he and Donny were supporting each other’s energy signatures that I was able to find them and follow them across. So if you want to blame someone, blame me.”

“Blame you,” Don asked, shock clear in his voice. “Blame the individual who is responsible for saving my family? Blame you when you nearly got yourself killed protecting my brothers? Leo, there is nothing to blame you for.”

“Except that if it weren’t for me, Malatempa wouldn’t have interfered in your lives at all,” Leo said stubbornly.

Don couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Okay, actually he could; this was _Leo_ after all. He looked at the Menaces in wide-eyed disbelief. “Is he serious,” he asked in a strangled voice. “Does he really think we’d blame him for what that crazy were-bitch-wanna-be did?”

“He’s Leo,” Raph said philosophically. “What did you expect?”

Shaking his head, Don walked right up to Leo and smacked him with his open palm right on the forehead.

“Hey, what was that for,” Leo complained as he rubbed the slightly stinging spot.

“For being such an idiot,” Don said. “Blame you my shell. One of these days you Leonardos, all of you, are going to realize that the responsibility for the world does not rest on your shoulders. Each of us makes our own choices, and we each have to live with the consequences.”

“Exactly,” Leo said, quiet triumph in his voice. “Listen to your own words, ‘little brother.’ Malatempa made the choice to trap you. Karai made the decision to attack your home and your family. You didn’t make them do those things, any more than you made your brothers lose sight of each other for all those years. All any of you can do now is remember the consequences you’ve suffered, and try to learn from your mistakes in the future. Playing the blame game doesn’t help anyone.”

Don sat in stunned silence for a long moment before looking once more at the twin Menaces who sat flanking Leo. “Your brother,” he said succinctly, “is a stubborn, pain in the butt, know-it-all, too-smart-for-his-own-good bastard.”

“Don’t we know it,” Raphael said. “But don’t feel too bad. He’s pulled that same trick on us too many times to count.”

“But it doesn’t change the fact that he’s right,” Mike said, his one good arm tightening comfortingly around his older brother. “I’d say we’ve all shouldered enough guilt and blame for this whole situation. But, the thing is, we still have each other, in spite of everything. It’s time to let it go and move on.”

Don was quiet for a moment as he considered his younger brother words. Then, returning the one-armed hug he said, “So where do we go from here? I mean, this Earth is pretty much a loss.”

“Actually,” Leonardo interjected, “our new brothers have an interesting offer for us. You see, they know a place where we can live in safety _and_ peace if we’re willing to move. How does that sound to you?”

For the first time, Don gave his brothers a real, honest smile. “Why don’t you tell me more as we head back to HQ? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think I’ve had about as much of this dismal place,” he gestured around the destroyed Lair, “as I can stand.” And enfolded in the loving presence of his now quite large family, Don led them out of the remnants of their old life and into the much brighter promise of the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there is one more story in this universe. I probably won't start posting it until after the new year starts. We have a lot of family stuff going on the next several weeks. Thank you too all of my reviewers. I really, really appreciate you taking the time to give me feedback, or just little note on these old stories.


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